Son of the Storm: Rise of Eternity
by RosarioVampireBoy
Summary: Past, present, future, all are contained within one universe and for Ryo and his friends time is about to run out. New dangers await, new threats will arise, and a sinister foe that could turn their world into a living, breathing nightmare. Their only hope lies within the pages of an ancient tome and with each other. Their final test has arrived. "You'll pay for what you've done!"
1. Chapter 1 The Returner

Son of the Storm: Rise of Eternity

Chapter 1

The Returner

What is eternity? The flow of never-ending time through the world? No, sooner or later something will change no matter how big or small. With each second time passes and with time comes new events, new stages in the world, and possibly even a new beginning. Though most left their fate in the hands of the beholder some weren't so easily persuaded. What was, what is, and what will be, starts here.

The cold, that's all they could feel as the never-ending snow continued to stir itself outside. Who's bright idea was it to take refuge in an abandoned factory in the middle of a frozen wasteland? What about a warm sunny meadow? Or a nice, calm beach setting? Nope, instead they chose to freeze their nads off. Still it was better than getting caught by the authorities.

"Tien! Reign! Noino! What's taking you so long?!" she exclaimed while watching over the three baboons.

"We're on Rei just hold your horses." answered Reign.

"I would if you three would get your butts in gear. What's the hold up anyways?" she asked impatiently.

"Well as you can see there's a lot here to bag up so if you would shut your trap for just one second maybe we'd get things done faster." answered Tien.

"Hey, I'm the one transporting us between both worlds so show some damn respect or else." she threatened.

"Or else what?" Tien challenged her.

"Or else I'll dump your butt off in the human world."

"Psh you think I'm really scared of them? I'll step on a few dozen before they even so much as lay a finger on me."

"In the south..." she hissed.

"You wouldn't..." he growled.

"Have you even been to the south? They'll draw a gun on you just for entering their land."

"Actually the people there are pretty friendly and welcoming. And not to mention the festivals they throw around March are pretty fun." Noino followed up with just to tick her off.

"Shush!"

"Oh yeah we went down there at one point. Their food's actually pretty damn good, especially the little crustaceans with the potatoes and corn. So good."

"Shut it! We've got a pretty long ways to go and all of this isn't helping so get to it." she demanded.

Just then they heard something strange coming from outside; a loud whistling sound followed by a the sound of feet hitting the walkway.

"What is it?" asked Tien.

"A big perhaps?" suggested Noino.

"That's one big ass bird then." answered Reign.

"Shush, it's getting closer." she told them as the footsteps got louder.

Of course they weren't completely defenseless, but along with their true forms they had another form of dealing with trespassers. While listening they each grabbed their own gun before turning back to face whatever was outside. Whether it was a person or wild beast they were gonna get blasted to bits with their AK47s.

"You feel that?" asked Noino.

"Yeah, it's pretty intense. Think it's one of them?" Reign followed up.

They would soon find out though as the footsteps stopped their front door. Taking deep breaths all of them lined up their sights in preparation for what was going to come through, but the moment they expected the worst they heard a gentle knock on the two large double doors.

"Hm? A friendly?" asked Tien.

"Or they're trying to pull a fast one on us. Quick one of you go check." she asked of them.

"Seriously?" Reign muttered while lowering his gun.

What wimps he though as he approached the door. What could be on the other side that was so scary? Heck their boss could beat their butts to hell and back if she wanted to so why was she shivering? Once he grabbed ahold of the handle though he felt it; a presence that felt very unfamiliar.

"What's wrong? Too scared?" she asked teasingly.

"Shush please." was all he could say as the doors swung open; knocking him out against the steel pipe behind him.

As their friend fell to the ground the rest of them raised their weapons in preparation for what was to come. While the snow outside raged a faint figure began stepping through the entry way; a man wearing a dark blue jacket that covered up his unruly white hair, though what struck them as odd was his reaction to the situation he was in.

"Now that, that's cold. Does anyone have some coffee? Maybe a little hot coco?" he asked while pulling back his hood.

"Um, no we don't?" answered Tien.

"Awe really? Shame, but at least I made it right? Almost froze my nads off trying to get here. Ever flown through falling snow? Ya get cold pretty quickly." he said while brushing the snow off his jacket.

At this point they didn't know whether to shoot or not as they kept their guns up for if he tried anything funny.

"So what exactly are you doing here?" she asked.

"Oh right, well you see I've been out there for at leat three hours and desperately needed someplace to warm up. You don't mind sharing do you?" he asked innocently.

"Uh, I guess not."

"Shut it, what are you really doing here?" she demanded to know.

"I already told you miss." he replied.

"No-no I can see it in your eyes. You're one of those stupid defense force pieces of crap aren't you?" she asked in a frustrated tone.

"Huh, you'd think that were the case but nope. By the way whatcha got back there?" he asked.

And just like that he was gone. Had he vanished into thin air? Nope, instead they turned to see him poking around at their supply. He sure seemed interested enough as he gave it a little sniff.

"Drugs huh? This could really screw someone up." he said before brushing his finger off.

"Mhm, it really gets your blood flowing and gives you high like you wouldn't believe." said Reign.

"Shut it you idiot." she demanded before jabbing him in the stomach with the handle of her weapon.

"Hey watch you're pointing that thing!" he exclaimed.

"And you shut it as well. How do we know you're not one of those E.D.F guys huh? I bet inside that head of yours you're just loving this huh?"

"Well I must say you're lovely and all but I have a." he tried to tell her before she buried the barrel in his stomach.

"You get off on this kind of stuff don't you? The rush of a danger high, the feeling that at any moment I could pull the trigger and end your meager existence." she threatened.

But even with her threats his attitude still didn't change as he simply let out a disappointing sigh. Though she underestimated him he couldn't deny that teasing her was pretty good things had to come to an end though as he began moving at top speed; after images following right behind him as he took away all their weapons.

"Wow you guys must be real paranoid if you keep these things around. I mean you're all monsters right? Or are y'all just too weak?" he asked with a cocky grin spread across his face.

"Hey those are ours now." Tien growled.

"Not anymore." the stranger replied before crushing all three of them in his hands.

"Damn, that's some strength." Noino said, impressed at the display.

"Are you kidding me? Get him?!" she demanded as they all transformed.

This seemed to arise some interest out of him as a grin spread across his face; exposing his fangs that they hadn't seen before.

"Oh, now this is good. Two ahuizotls and a nāga, wonderful. Now will this ass whooping be for here or to go?"

"Rip him to pieces." she commanded as her two goons barreled towards him.

Big freaking monkey dog hybrids, now that was new to him and with those claws attached to their tails they'd have no problem tearing his head clean off, but unlike them he was actually smart enough to plan ahead. And so as they drew closer he unbuckled his jacket as the inside began glowing bright red as he let out a soft whistle. The louder the pitch the brighter it got until both found themselves blinded by the oncoming light.

"Go my children." he whispered softly.

From all around little chirps could be heard as the light began to fade. Were they birds? Nope, bats, hundreds upon hundreds of red electrical bats surrounded the two as their little red eyes zeroed in on their target. Although they weren't attacking they noticed something they hadn't before. Around their mysterious friends arms were two red gauntlets with a glowing gem embedded right in the center of each.

"Those gauntlets..." though Tien as they both continued forward.

"No." was all he said as his small flying friends surrounded them.

In mere seconds they found themselves trapped as the vermin began melding together around them until they found themselves trapped in what looked like a giant clawed hand.

"Gah you've gotta be kidding me!" Noino grunted as they struggled.

"No kidding here I'm afraid. Now be gone!" he hissed.

Upon command thousands of volts of electricity began running through their body until he felt they had enough, or until they both cried uncle. Unfortunately there was still one other to take care of, and so with a flick of his wrist he sent both of his unconscious prey against the wall.

"Hm, that should have been more fun than it was. Oh well." he said before turning back to their leader.

"This power, what is he?" she asked herself while feeling his immense power.

"Oh right, do you want a piece too or are you gonna come quiet?" he asked.

"And you're gonna make me?" she asked as her nerves settled.

"Pretty much."

"And just who do you think you are?"

"I'm glad you asked. Ryo Keno from Sector C of the E.D.F. By orders of my commanding officer I've been sent here to take you and your goons into custody under suspicion of drug distribution in the human world. Now here comes the big question. Will you come quietly? Choose carefully or this could get a bit deadly.?" he told her with a sinister grin.

So this was it, she could either surrender and go down quietly or fight and attempt to escape. Which one would she choose? Well she didn't find being locked away in a cage for months on end all that satisfying, so there was only one reasonable solution to her predicament. Words weren't needed as she threw her tail to knock him back, but instead he jumped straight up before pumping her with a few hundred volts of electricity.

"Dang, well this isn't fair is it? Wait, I've got it." he said as both gauntlets vanished.

"What are you planning?" she thought.

"Now my little friends won't bother you, but I've still got my powers too. Heh, alright then I won't use my hands at all." he promised before putting them behind his back.

"Are you mocking me?" she asked angrily.

"Possibly, whatcha gonna do about it?" he asked in a cocky attitude.

"Grrrrr fine you wanna be my dinner? So be it!" she hissed as her tail began opening up.

Well this came out of nowhere, but wasn't uncommon for him as he stood there with a smile on his face. Oh how he loved his job, especially when he got to deal with people like her. As the tail opened up rows and rows of teeth began appearing before it came flying towards him with the intent to gobble him up. Too bad for her she didn't know what exactly she was dealing with. With his promise still being in play he instead jumped up just before she could snatch him up before giving that nasty mouth of hers strong dive kick.

"Oh, that's gonna leave a mark." he said while stomping into it.

"Gah! Stop, that's my tail you bastard!" she exclaimed in great pain.

"Awe did that hurt the big bad snake?" he teased before stomping on it again.

"Stop that you moron!" she cried out before releasing some acid from her mouth.

But just as he did before all he had to do was jump back so the acid could work its magic on her. Upon impact the liquid burned right through her skin and bone; cutting off half her tail in the process. No words came from her; only cries of pain as she tossed about in agony.

"Gah how could you do this to me?!" she cried out while looking directly at him in anger.

"Hey I did nothing, you're the one that spat that goop at me. But hey at least it'll grow back right?"

"Damn you!" she cried out while crawling towards him.

"Three, two, one."

In the end though it was safe to say they she finished herself off as she tried grabbing him, but instead she saw what looked like a card appear before a cage made of electricity surrounded her.

"What's the big idea ditching us like that?" he heard come from behind.

"Oh yeah, sorry about that Magi. I figured since they were probably packing things up and seeing as how fast we were going I thought I'd buy you guys some time." he told his partner as his fellow-men rushed in to contain the suspects.

Magi, his once childhood bully turned friend, for almost five years they'd been training together to become members of the E.D.F and after two years they finally got their chance to show everyone what they had. And ever since they'd been working together through thick and thin to prove themselves just as everyone else had.

"Oi, the commander's not gonna be happy about that." he replied as their new friends were loaded up on the ship outside.

"Don't remind me..." he groaned as they left the facility.

With everyone packed up and ready to go it seemed they were all set to head out when Ryo heard his phone go off.

"Ah crap, sorry man but I've gotta jet for now." he told his partner before letting his wings loose.

"What going on?" he asked curiously.

"I promised I'd help Minami out with the graduation ceremony today." he said with a deep breath.

"And you're just gonna bounce like that? You do know we've still got an thirty minutes left of our shift."

"No worries, I'll explain everything to the commander when I return. See ya!" he told him before kicking off the ground.

"Oi, alright let's get a move on." he told their men.

It was only thirty minutes. What was the worst that could happen? Getting hit by a bird? Besides he'd already done his fair share of work, especially when it came to training with the new recruits and sorting out files for his commander. He deserved a little break, at least that's what he thought. While flying through the sky he couldn't help but let out a pleasing sigh as the wind blew through his hair. The sensation he got of being up in the cloud without a care in the world was just great.

"Ah yes now this is what it's all about. Now then where am I?" he asked himself before ducking below the clouds.

Grassy fields covered the ground, but what stood out the most was its only real attraction. Yokai University, a school made for monsters who wanted to further their studies of the human world. Though he was done with school his best friend sure wasn't; even though she was more set on teaching others about their neighbors. With almost three miles of classrooms, dorms, and shops there was plenty of space for those who chose to attend, but at the same time made it a bit difficult to find her at first.

"Seems everyone's up and about today. Now where did she say to meet? The western courtyard?" he thought while swooping down for a closer look.

White hair, that's what he scanned the ground for as he made his descent. Of course coming from the sky he got a few weird looks from the other students but seeing as how he was the only other vampire around it was easy to understand why.

"Where oh where is my lovely lamb?" he questioned while looking around

With the number of students around the area being fairly small it surely wouldn't take him long to find her. After walking around for a minute or so though he finally spotted her and that lovely long, white hair of hers. But wait, he couldn't just walk up to her; no he needed to surprise her. And so with a mischievous grin on his face he began carefully tip toeing up behind her while also thinking of ways to surprise her.

"Chest grab? No, she'd just elbow my gut. Maybe a little spark? Hm..." he pondered before getting an idea.

He might have done some perverted things every so often but doing that stuff out in public would have killed her, and probably him as well. Slowly but surely he made his way up behind her until he was within distance. With a silent breath he quickly wrapped his hands around her eyes; only to have them fall through?

"What this?" he asked while moving his hand in and out of her.

As it turned out she got the jump on his as he heard the branches from the tree behind him starting to shake.

"She's coming!" he exclaimed.

Maybe it was to get everyone's attention or maybe it was just the first thing that came to mind, either way he was too late to stop her as she pounced on top of him. Lucky for her she had him to soften her fall while he had the hard ground below to soften his; pinned to the ground by her hands.

"Gotcha." he said while kneeling on him.

"Yeah that's great, but maybe you could move your legs? You're kind of crushing my hurting my ribs." he grunted as her knee kept jabbing his chest.

"Hm? But I thought you liked it like this?" she asked mischievously.

"Minami I swear if you don't get off I'll do you know what." he threatened with a smirk.

"You wouldn't."

"Oh I would and I can. From down here I've got access to every sensitive spot of your body, including right here." he told her before going for her sides.

"No-no stop it! You can't do that, it's not fair!" she cried out in laughter as he took advantage of the situation.

"Who's the one who struck first hm?" he asked, feeling her loosen up.

"I did!" she answered.

"Mhm, and who's turn is it for revenge?" he asked before picking her up off the ground.

"Heheh come on people are looking." she pointed out after he threw her over his shoulder.

Looking around he then noticed all the eyes focused on them, and most were the look of either creeped or weirded out.

"Geez, when's a little display of affection a bad thing." he scoffed while letting her down.

"Oh don't worry about it, after this Friday we won't have to worry about that at all." she said before leaning in towards him.

"Oh right, I thought that was on the weekend. So that's why your hair's short like that."

"Mhm, like it?" she asked cutely.

In order to look her best she decided to get herself a hair cut. The front was still a fairly long, but that back was trimmed down so only a bit dipped down behind her neck. And to finish it off she had it neatly combed with both bangs drawn back behind her ears. Even though it was short he could still run his hands through it just as he always had.

"Nice, it's got that not too short and not too long thing going on. Honestly you were reminding me of your mom with all that long hair."

"Oh god really? Was it awkward?" she asked with a slight blush.

"Nah, cause no one's as beautiful as you my dear." he said softly.

She didn't need an invitation to what was about to happen. Once she grabbed ahold of the collar of his jacket they both puckered up, but just after their lips met they heard someone come up beside them.

"Oh? Seems we've got some love-making going on out here today." they heard before breaking apart.

"Ami, don't do that."

"What? You didn't show up on time so I thought I'd come look for you, but it seems you were a bit busy with...?"

"Ryo Keno." he answered.

"Oh so you're the boy she's told me about. Tell me, is it true that you're the first of your kind?" she asked with intrigue.

"Yep, the one and only." he answered with pride.

"Interesting, you wouldn't mind if I take a sample of your DNA huh?" she asked before reaching for his hair.

"Uh no, let's just get to work please." Minami suggested after grabbing her wrist.

"Awe, just one piece of hair?" she asked of her.

"No..."

"Please?"

"No means no." she answered as her temper began to rise.

But just when all hope seemed lost to her he decided to do her a solid and pull a single strand of hair out for her.

"Ryo?" Minami asked worryingly.

"Relax, what's the worst she could do with it?" he told her before handing her friend the strand.

"Oh thank you very much. This'll be great for my last assignment." she said with joy.

Although he meant well the look he got from his girl said otherwise, but it wasn't the first time she'd given him that look. Just like any relationship it had its up and downs, but in the end they always recovered.

"So what's your plan for that piece of hair?" asked Minami.

"Oh that's a secret, but I assure you if I'm right that you'll find out soon enough." she answered as they approached the auditorium.

"Right, and speaking of secrets what was that thing you used on me?" he asked Minami.

"You're dad." she answered.

"Your birthday? That's what he gave you?"

"Mhm, he told me to use it wisely. Safe to say it worked pretty well on you." she teased before poking his forehead.

"Yeah-yeah you got me, but next time I'll get you." he teased while poking her stomach.

While talking with her though he couldn't help but admire how much she'd developed over the years. It was safe to say she'd gone through a slight metamorphose through years, that short sleeve white button up shirt and denim jeans certainly showed off her more defined features. But along with a more mature body so had her perception of education. For so long she hadn't a clue what she wanted to do with her life, but after graduating from the academy it hit her. The young ones, she wanted to teach them about not only the human world but also about their own. It was a difficult path, but after four and half long years she'd finally get her chance. And though he loved her looks he also admired her as a person; one that wouldn't give up on what she wanted and wouldn't ever stop until she achieved her goals.

"And here we are." Ami said while pushing the double doors open.

"Holy crap." he gasped as the doors flew open.

"Impressive eh? It's just a little over the size of a single football field."

"But it didn't look nearly that big from the outside." he said while looking around at all the room they had to work with.

"Well that's what happens when your dean is a wizard."

"I'll say, it's almost the size of our arena back at HQ."

"Yep, and now I guess you see why we need a bit of help. With such a large area to work with we want to make this special for everyone. Not only will the ceremony be held here but also a little celebration."

"Awesome, so whatcha need me to do?" he asked excitedly.

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble would you mind flipping the chairs up right? There's about nine hundred so."

But by the time she could finish her sentence he was already on it.

"Hot dang, you said he was fast but not this fast." Ami said as they watched him align them all.

"Yea he's a speed demon alright." she followed up.

"And you two have been together for what? Four years now?"

"Well closer to five at this point but yeah pretty much."

"And your parents? What do they think it?"

"Dad doesn't mind, mom tolerates it, and my dear old grandfather loves to test him from time to time. I tell you what though it was a pain getting to that point though."

"You mean with your family and him?"

"Yeah, it started out a bit rough, but everything's kind of settled down now."

"Nice, so you ever thought of taking it to the next level? I mean after graduation of course."

"What? Isn't it a bit too soon?" she asked with a raised brow.

"Almost five years of dating and you're still not sure? Come on, if you were meant for each other he'd be seeing someone else by now and so would you."

"Hm..." she pondered for a second.

Her thoughts were cut short though when he appeared before them with sweat dripping down his forehead.

"You're not tired already are you?" asked Minami.

"Uh-uh, just a but warm in here without any circulation, and this jacket isn't helping either." he claimed before stripping it off.

"Huh, nice job. Seems they're all order."

"Thanks, oh wait hold on a sec." he replied as his phone began ringing.

Was it Magi? Nope, worse, the commander, and judging by his grunted when he answered he was in for an earful.

"Yes sir?" he asked nervously.

"Where are you Keno?! I thought I told you no free time until your shift is done and over. Did I not?" he asked furiously while his voice blasted from the speakers.

"Yes sir, but you see my girl here needed some help so I thought I'd."

"I don't give a fat rat's posterior if she needed your help or not. You don't abandon your team like that." he told him as his nerves settled.

"Yes sir, I promise I'll be more careful next time. I'm very sorry for the disappointment." he answered.

"Very well, but when you return I expect double the training time this week with restrictions."

"Of course."

"Carry on...super size those fries!" he exclaimed before hanging up.

Now that he was out of his ear he could take a breather.

"Work?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah, what can you do? But hey since tomorrow's my off day why don't we go out and have a bit of fun? God knows you need to get out of here."

"Sounds good, but on one condition. We do what I want to do this time around?" she offered with her normal bright smile.

"Deal, besides I think we could both use some fun right about now." he said before giving her a peck on the lips.

But before he could leave her friend stopped him for a second.

"If you're leaving then thanks for the sample. I'll put it to good use." Ami told him as he ran out the door.

"No prob, nice meet you too." he said with a smile before kicking off the ground.

Balancing work and relationships was a new one, but like every challenge that came before he'd meet it head on.


	2. Chapter 2 A Serious Job

Chapter 2

A Serious Job

One would expect someone like the Keno family to take their job seriously, and for most part they did; however there was one big flaw with their newest member. And from the start they figured it would happen sooner or later; it always happened to those who failed to realize what kind of job they'd signed up for. And for disobeying an order, he, along with his partner found themselves in training for almost three hours straight. Sure, he'd suffered through much worse while training with his girlfriend and her ever so delightful family, but when being pitted against both water and light together; it could only spell trouble.

"Damn it, we're getting murked." said Magi, before throwing up a rock barrier to deflect the oncoming attacks.

"True that, got any plans?" Ryo asked, while poking his head out to check.

"Yeah, go back in time and keep you from acting like a moron." he answered in frustration, while thinking up a plan.

"I already told ya, I had no choice."

"Bull, if anything you could have called her up and talked her, but no instead we're stuck here."

"Geez, alright I'm sorry. But you must admit, this is pretty intense."

"For three hours dude, three hours." he replied, before grabbing a fairly helpful card.

If anything it would keep them hidden from view while they went on the offensive.

"Whatcha got there?"

Little did Sylvia and Shara know, both were hatching their own plan. Whether it succeeded or failed was up to them though.

"Think we've burnt them out?" Sylvia asked, before retracting the water spread along the ground.

"Doubt it, just be on your toes alright?"

"Gotcha."

They'd have to be if they were to fend off the on upcoming attack. Quietly they waited, as the wall crumbled. At that moment Ryo took charge by speeding towards his cousin, and since his speed outmatched her own; it took hardly any effort to surround her. It didn't end there though; instead he decided to relieve her of any oxygen by surrounding her in a vortex.

"Dang, fine that's how you want to play?" she growled, before stomping the ground.

From it a large shock-wave of electricity erupted, but oh no that wasn't good enough to stop the speed demon. Instead he jumped over it, before continuing with his plan.

"Sorry cuz, but you're out of luck today." he replied in a cocky tone.

With the air being extracted, her concentration began crumbling, as she fell to a knee. At most he'd force her to pass out, and then they'd see who the two top dogs were!

"Shara!" Sylvia exclaimed in a panic, before flooding floors in an attempt to stop her spastic brother.

But as she learned, it wouldn't be that easy.

"Nope, focus is over here love." his partner told her, while charging forth.

"Tsk fine, if that's the way you want it, drink up!"

With a stomp of her foot, claws made of water began chasing him; forcing him towards her. But unknowing to her though, he had his own plan.

"Not bad, but how's this?" he replied, before jumping over the incoming attack.

With an opening at hand, a plan came to mind, as another one of his favorite cards flew between his fingers.

"Now taste my frozen treat!" he exclaimed with excitement, before giving it a good toss.

"Heh, not if I drown it first." she warned, before blasting it with a stream of water.

Too bad she hadn't paid attention to its art. If so, she'd known that it was of the ice element, and what did ice do to water when it came into contact with it?

"Bingo."

"What? You can't be serious." she grunted, as the floor began freezing over.

And so was she. After covering the floor, the substance began encasing her in really thick ice; ultimately cutting off any freedom she had to move or even attack. All he saw was a cute ice sculpture standing there, with a surprised look on its face.

"Now chill out. You need to cool your head. Ice to beat." he said, before feeling his partner slam right into him.

"Gah, what's with all this? Ice?" Ryo grunted, before rolling off.

"I did not take that into consideration." Magi replied nervously.

"Yeah? Well because of you, look who's free!" he exclaimed in frustration, before pointing over to the free Shara.

And she didn't look the least bit happy. After having the oxygen cut off for some time, there were only a few seconds left of consciousness, if he hadn't slipped away.

"You're gonna pay for that you dick!" she cried out, before slamming a fist against the icy surface.

"Crap, shield on." Yami called out, before a light green bubble took form around him.

With all her anger, she blasted apart the ice with her own lightning, from not only the floor, but her partner as well. And by being set free, they were back to square one. They were so screwed.

"You okay?" she asked Sylvia.

"A-OK, and now for my little brother." she said, before turning the ice to water.

"Tsk, please. You think I'll just stand here and let you hit me?"

Was he really that dumb? Apparently so, since it took her pointing down to realize the liquid had completely covered the ground.

"Oh, well I'm screwed aren't I?"

"No hard feelings." she replied, before raising her hand.

And with it, a large orb of water took form from his next down. God, the weakness of water was sure annoying, but it was one of the thing he had to deal with after turning over. But god dang did it do a great job at sapping away his physical energy, and worse, there was no escape.

"And don't think I've forgotten about you stud." her partner told Yami, before firing a nice bolt at him.

Instead of breaking through the shield though, it instead trapped him inside an electrical cage. Sucked for him, because if so much as a hair touched its surface, he'd find himself more fried than fried chicken.

"Hey bud, a little help?" he pleaded.

"Oi, alright home on...nope, nothing."

"It really drains ya doesn't it? Maybe now you'll learn to pick your battles carefully next time." his sister told them.

"Picked? We were paired up with you! Now let me out!" he grunted, while struggling to escape.

"Was that so? Silly me, must have slipped my mind." she teased, as both of their opponents shared in a laugh.

"Troublesome, the both of you." growled Yami, while struggling to find a way out of their predicament.

"Says a leader who can't even keep his partner under his wing for a single day, without him rushing off early." Sylvia rebutted.

Before their argument could escalate any further though, the elevator doors behind them opened; revealing a girl with short red hair, big soda can glasses, and a pony tails that, if they were honest, made her look more like a child than an adult. But that was Horiko Tanaka for them.

"Hey there Hori, what brings ya down here?" Yami asked, as if everything were normal.

"Huh? Oh right...what was it." she pondered.

"She can't remember?" they all thought.

"Oh yes! The commander would like to see Mr. Keno in his office this instant."

"For real?" he asked with excitement.

"Yes."

"Oh dang, well it looks like we can't continue with this session. Sis, if you would." he asked of her.

"Don't get too comfortable." she warned, before releasing him from his prison.

"And the water? You can have it back."

"Hold your horses then."

Using her power, she extracted every speck of water from around his body. From head to toe, she cleansed him of any liquid left from their fight.

"Ah, better. And with that, I'm off. Good luck with those two Magi boy." he announced, before stepping back into the elevator.

"W-Wait, you can't leave me here with them!" he cried out.

Too late, he was too far gone to reach.

"So what's the boss need with me today?" he asked, while watching the numbers go by.

"I think it's about your recent performance."

"About today?"

"Mhm."

"Crap, alright, I'll prepare the earplugs." he replied, before arriving at the sixth and last floor.

Knowing the old cook pretty well, he had quite the scolding coming his way.

"Good luck." she told him, before taking a ride back down.

"Alright, prepare your butt." he sighed, before stepping to the left.

To the left sat their commander's office, and to the right sat the many weapon labs, used to create different weapons to help out in battle. To his dismay though, he couldn't check out the new toys, but instead had to check out the old fossil sitting in wait.

"Hm...maybe I'll give Minami a call afterwards. Her brain must be ready to burst after everything she's been through." he thought, while walking down the hallway.

With his girlfriend on his mind, he barely looked over at the many paintings lining the walls depicting many wild battles they'd waged back when elementals were nothing but slaves. To those new, they found them pretty interesting, but after a few years being a member himself, it wasn't nothing much. However, there were two that stood out among the rest; two paintings of the former and current commander and chief of the operation, and someday he hoped he'd join them up there.

"Nothing to it but to do it." he told himself, before giving the door a gentle knock.

"Yes? Who is it?" he heard in a response.

"It's Keno, you needed to see me sir?"

"Indeed, please come in."

Strange, he didn't seem that mad, even after he did as he said, and entered the room. Then again, they had yet to get down to brass tacks.

"What was it you wanted to see me about sir."

"Keno, what's our motto here at the E.D.F?"

"We live, we fight, we die, as a family."

"Good, now tell me this, what kind of family member abandons his fellow men thirty minutes before his shift is over?"

"Well, to be fair sir, I kind of had other things I needed to get done. It just so happened they both overlapped on top of one another."

"Was this someone in danger?"

"No sir, but."

"Then as a member of our ranks, shouldn't you have remained with the others?"

"I...yes sir."

Commander Ryn Frye, not only one of the strongest elementals around, but also their boss. It came as no surprise when he heard just how old he was; the grey hair really kind of gave it away, even though the face made him look more like a thirty year old. For over twenty years he'd been the head honcho, and under his command he'd molded some of the best troops out there. And when one stepped out of line, he couldn't help but get a little frustrated, which was clear in his tone of voice.

"Mr. Keno, do you know how old I am?" he asked, after turning in his chair to look at the young man.

"Um...six hundred sir?"

"Yes, I've endured many things in my life time. Sickness, death of friends and family, and of course the rebellion. You know about that right?"

"Yes sir."

"It was hell, but because of your father and mother, we managed to break free, and form what is now the E.D.F. But when you and your siblings came along, he could no longer hold the top spot. And upon doing so he asked one thing of me: to not only train you three when the time came, but to watch over you."

Great, the sappy story he'd heard before. Somehow he figured this wouldn't end in his favor.

"I know, and I'm grateful, but there are others out there who need my attendance as well."

"Understandable, but duty comes first above all."

"Of course sir. I'm sorry for what I did, and I promise it won't happen again." he pleaded.

"Be sure of that. You may go."

And so, with a respectful bow, he took his leave. Thinking back, what he did had been pretty stupid. What if one of the prisoners had escaped? Sure, most in his squad were quite strong, but against four beasts like them?

"Maybe he's right. I've been kind of slacking lately, but what do I do if Minami needs my help that instant? I can't just blow her off like that." he thought, while walking across the hall for a drink.

Balancing work and a relationship was a lot harder than he thought it would be. On one hand he had the job he'd been pursuing for years, but on the other Minami stood, and one he couldn't lose her after all they'd been though. Not to mention what had been on his mind recently.

"Tsk, nothing can ever be simple can it?" he asked himself, before taking a sip.

And as if he wasn't already confused about what to do, from the second door to his left, a large explosion blew off not only the door, but the wall surrounding it. Looking on, only one thing came to mind.

"I could walk away right now." he thought.

But then again his brother and father were involved in making many of their gadgets, and if something happened to them, his mother wouldn't have been too pleased. But as it turned out, they were all OK, for the most part. Some of their fellow researchers had a few cuts and bruises, but otherwise it seemed everyone got out without a scratch. The same couldn't be said about the room though. Burn marks covered the walls, while multiple pieces of metal covered the floor and walls.

"Crap, I swear we had it that time." Kyte growled in annoyance.

"It's alright son, we'll just start over again." his father suggested.

"Again? We've been at this for almost six months now, and we're nowhere near close enough to its last phase. Don't you think we're going a bit overboard? We've got plenty of other stuff to use."

"Yeah, you may be right, but the only way to go is ahead in our field. Best keep at it, then to give up when things are looking tough. Plus, I'm sure your brother and sister would love to have something like this with 'em." he answered, while picking up the pieces.

"Yeah maybe, but."

"Look, you've been up for almost two days working on it. Why don't you head on home and rest up? We'll finish things up here."

"You sir pops? I'm not against helping, but you've gotta know your limits."

"Nah, it's alright. Go get some rest, and we'll continue tomorrow."

"Heh thanks."

Good thing his own father wasn't as much of a hard ass as their leader turned out. Still, he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty about leaving his old man behind. However, he did feel rather drowsy, and in need of a nice, comfy bed to rest his head. While walking towards the elevator though, he saw little Ryo standing outside the hole in the wall with a confused and concerned look on his face.

"What's up little brother?" he asked.

"Well I got talked at by Ryn again, so that's a thing. Other than that though, pretty well."

"Again? What did you do this time?"

"Meh, left the squad thirty minutes early to help Minami out at the college."

"Thirty minutes?! Come on, you should know better than to do something like that. I know you've got a girl and all but."

"You've got a duty to uphold, I know. It's just, I don't know how I'm gonna balance it all out."

"Hm, what are your hours again?"

"Eight in the morning to three in the afternoon."

"Pretty standard then. But you two have been doing pretty well, why worry now?"

"I uh, well." he said, before leaning in to whisper it to him.

Upon hearing it though, his eyes widened with shock.

"What?! Wait, hold on, you're serious about this?"

"Yeah, too soon?"

"Uh well, it's been over four years, that's a pretty long time. But damn, before me bro?"

"What? Scared that the youngest will surpass you in something?"

"No! It's just, are you sure about this? It's a serious commitment after all."

"A better question would be, what her mother and grandfather would say."

"Oh god, those two? They'd probably twist your head right off, well Issa anyways."

"I wouldn't put him past him. Anyways, I need to make sure my partner isn't dead yet. See you around." Ryo replied, before heading for the elevator.

"Alright, take care." he replied, before heading to the stairs.

Did he just do what he thought he did? Why would he tell his own brother something that, knowing full well he wasn't the best at keeping secrets. What if Minami called and he brought it up, he thought while heading down.

"Oh no, what about Sylvia. If she finds out now, there's no way she'll keep it too herself. Crap." he thought, as panic grew.

Then again, her graduation wasn't too far off, and what better present to get her than a life together? But then, what if she wasn't ready for such a leap? Was four years enough time? At this point, he wouldn't have been surprised if steam began coming from his ears. But then, something came to mind. When training, his mother would always tell him to follow his instincts, and if things didn't work out, then not to worry.

"Should I really do this?" he asked himself, after pulling out his phone.

He wanted to so bad, but at the same time, there ran a risk of making things awkward between them. After reaching the third floor, his mind was made up. Though he didn't plan on asking right away, a little preparation never hurt. While approaching the bottom floor, he decided to call up an old friend.

"Hey bud, it's been some time."


	3. Chapter 3 Danger Approaches

Chapter 3

Danger Approaches

What was the life of a E.D.F troop like? Well, actually it wasn't must different from any other job. Each member were assigned off to a particular group, whether it be A, B, C, or D would depend on their test results, and with enough experience, each could move up along the ranks. Along with being placed in a group though, each member had a decision to make, whether they'd rest up and work the day shift, or spend the day sleeping, and work the afternoon and night shift. At the moment, it was looking fairly even, but for Ryo and Magi, the day shift seemed like their best option. But first things first, they had to prepare for the day ahead, and what luck; his girl had called up to check on him just in time.

"Heyo, what's up?" he asked, while slipping into his dark brown pants.

"Hey, you remember what you promised me yesterday?" she asked, in a rather annoyed tone.

"Yesterday...remind me again?" he asked.

"After work, you, me, the date?"

"A date?"

"...You forgot again didn't you?"

"No...I just got caught up in some things. But sorry about that. I promise, this weekend I'll come by and we'll head to the human world for a very special one, alright?" he assured her, before slipping into his brown jacket.

"Sure, until something else comes up."

"Well look, I understand you're mad, but there are some things I can't get around. The old geezer made us run fifty laps around the facility. I mean it wasn't that tough for me, but poor Magi almost lost both lungs."

"Oi, Ryo, sometimes I wonder if you're taking all of this seriously. I'm not saying you have to bend to my will, but would it kill you to give me a call?"

"Awe, come on Minami. I know I'm not perfect like your grandfather, but I'm really putting my all into it."

"Well..."

"Come on, have we or have we not been through a lot together?"

"But that's still no excuse for flaking like that."

"Yeah, and I'm really sorry. But just think, we're off this weekend, and with that spare time we can do anything we want. Without your family interrupting."

Hearing something like that coming from him, it caused a little smile to appear.

"Anything?"

"Absolutely, you name it, and we'll do it."

"Hm, fine, but if you flake again, you're getting one hell of a gnawing." she warned.

"Gotcha, and don't worry, I won't let you down."

"I know you won't. Talk to you later okay?"

"Yep, can't wait to see you." he replied, before hanging up.

How childish, she thought to herself after setting down the phone. Sure, he wasn't the best when it came to scheduling things, and sometimes he forgot, it wasn't as if he'd done it on purpose. And plus, when they did have time to themselves, he at least tried. Being who he was, romantic evenings weren't exactly his forte, but just having the chance to hang out together again, and enjoy their time together, it felt nice. But still, she couldn't help but wish he'd take some time off and relax; just the two of them.

"Just don't strain yourself too hard." she begged, before leaving for class.

Meanwhile, back at his place, things were going along fairly well. Mother father, brother, and sister had all left for work earlier, which meant he had the house all to himself until his ride came to pick him up. Good thing too, he could have used some quiet tine.

"Badge? Check. Gun? Check. Hair? Of course." he boasted, while looking in the mirror right outside the living room.

But, his peace came an end after a knock on the door was heard, and a loud one at that.

"Oh come on, I still have thirty minutes." he sighed, before heading for the door.

Yep, he was right. Standing outside the door was Magi, and behind him, their ship. This could only mean one thing, and it didn't sit right with him.

"Oh good, you're up. We've got a report." he began saying, before being interrupted.

"That something major has gone down somewhere, and we've been sent to check it out."

"Yeah."

"Same song and dance, but couldn't this have waited?"

"That would be the case, if it hadn't been so severe. Tell me, do you remember a woman by the name of Mizore Shirayuki?"

"Mizore...it rings a bell. Oh yeah, the Yuki-Onna, what's happened?" he asked, in concern.

"We got a call from her a short while ago. Apparently her homeland came under attack by strange being. Big, made of metal, they came from the sky and slaughtered many, and took some, but she managed to make it out and alert us to the situation."

After hearing all that, his stomach dropped. Though he didn't know her all that well, Minami sure as heck did. If something happened to her, and she found out, how would he break it to her?

"Well? Whatcha waiting for? Let's get a move on before anything else happens."

The look in his eyes said it all. He was pretty pissed, and with anger came the need for action.

"Right. It'll take us ten minutes to reach our destination. So hang tight alright?" he asked of him, after they grabbed a hold if the anchor's chain.

"I'll be fine. Just get us there as fast as you can, okay?"

"Yep. Alright everyone, time to head out! Let's make this good and snappy!" Magi announced to their squad.

"Yes sir!" they replied, before scrambling to their stations.

And thus, they were off to investigate the strange attack. Meanwhile, back at the university, Minami was a bit busy arranging the things she's need for her first class. Everything had its own little space on her desk, or else she'd misplace it, without a doubt.

"Alright, notebook? Right here. Pen? To the right. Phone? On vibrate. And we're looking pretty good." she thought proudly, while stretching out along the seat.

And with almost five minutes to spare. Ah, it felt good to not have to worry about finals. Every bit of knowledge she'd gained throughout the semester stayed tightly packed in her head. And with finals only a week away, it was only a matter of time before she'd be free to pursue her own job. But while resting here eyes, a pair of cold hands surrounded them.

"Guess who." she heard.

"Hm...cold hands, smells like oil, Ami?"

"Right!" she cheered before jumping over the seat.

"So what are you doing here? I thought classes had started for you."

"Well, they would have if our instructor hadn't gotten sick. So until next period, we're free birds."

"Nice." Minami replied with a smile.

After stretching her arms a bit, Ami noticed the amount of text books filling her bag. It seemed to her someone was a busy bee.

"I take it you've been studying pretty hard."

"Mhm, been doing it for almost a week now."

"Yeah, I can tell. You look exhausted."

"Well I use to have Ryo here to give me a little jump-start, but that kind of stopped a year or so back."

"Oh right, the hybrid. Speaking of which, I really owe you a lot."

"What for?"

"Remember that sample I took yesterday? Well, after analyzing it a bit, I found that while his vampiric power takes up 60% of his body, the electricity inside his body actually enhances all of his abilities.

"Which means?"

"Well, let's so he goes in for a punch, normally it would be the average punch of a vampire, but if he channeled and focused all his electricity into that single punch, it could surpass that."

"Wait, hold on, so you're saying he's strong than he thinks he is?"

"Pretty much. The limit of 100% doesn't exist. If he really wanted to, that boundary could be broken down, and beyond it, an all new power. Think of it as a sort of power boost."

"Um..."

"But it's just a theory. After all, he's been like this for a while, and has yet to beat one of the Dark Lords."

"And you got all of that, in one night."

"Oh my dear, sweet, cute Minami, you have no clue how fast I can work." she replied in a rather weird tone, while wrapping an arm around her.

"Yeah, anyways, you'd best get out of here before the instructor gets here, or else he'll personally kick you out."

"Tsk, he wouldn't do that to a cute woman like me eh?"

It came as no surprise how stubborn she'd be when told to leave.

"Alright, suit yourself." Minami sighed, before leaning back.

While they continued their little chat, several miles away her lover and his mates continues on their way towards their destination. According to his watch, they weren't but a couple of minutes away, but with the amount of snow coming down, it made it almost impossible to tell where they were headed. All they had to go on were the coordinance given by their caller.

"Sheesh, you'd think it would let up by now." Magi complained, after raising the hood of his jacket.

"This is snow country, of course it's gonna have lots of the stuff."

"You'd also think the sun would freaking come out once in a while." he groaned.

"Man up. I've spent plenty of time in the cold, and look at me. No jacket or anything." Ryo boasted.

"Oh you're right. Now what if I were to make everything disappear." he threatened, before pulling out a card of invisibility.

Nope, he wasn't sticking around for that to happen, as he jumped back and away. It was one thing to gloat, but it was another to reveal his bare form to all his fellow troops.

"Heh, thought so."

While slipping the card back in, one of their lower their troops came running at him with a worried look on his face.

"Sir, we've just caught sight of our destination." he said.

"Nice, tell everyone to ready themselves. We're heading down the moment this ship stops."

"Yes sir. Everyone, grab your thinks and prepare to land!" he called out, before running towards the stairs that down into the belly of the ship.

While looking on in silence, a large smoke plume could be seen rising from what looked like a rather small town. Snow covered every inch of it, and no doubt there were others down there that needed some backup help, and that's exactly what they were their for.

"Damn, it's looking pretty bad." Ryo pointed out, after noticing the destroyed building and castle in the distance.

"Yeah. What could have caused this?"

"Made of metal was it? Maybe some kind of mechanized weapon?"

"Possibly, but the question is who. Could they have held a grudge?" Magi asked, while they closed in.

"Who knows, but let's find out what we can and head back. Maybe the commander can help us out, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan." he replied with a smirk, before bumping their fists together.

And so, with a plan in mind, and their ship anchored, everyone began sliding down the chain, and back to solid ground. Thankfully, the snow wasn't too deep, but what unsettled them the most were the looks they got from the locals. There weren't many, probably less than two hundred, and yet their cold glares managed to freeze some of them in place.

"Alright men, no time to stand around. We need info, and a lot of it. Ask anyone you can on what they saw, and where their attackers might be headed!" Magi demanded with great enthusiasm.

"Yes sir!" everyone replied, before running off.

"Ryo, you're with me."

"Gotcha. So where are we headed?"

"Nowhere. She said to wait at the entrance, and that's exactly what we're going to do. Got it?"

No answer, strange, usually he'd answer when called upon. But when turning to check, he saw what had grabbed his attention. In a matter of a few seconds, his partner had constructed numerous snowmen; all neatly stacked with pebble eyes and mouths, and stick noses.

"Do you want to build a snow~omph!" he began singing, before being pelted with a snowball.

"No, no more." Magi demanded, while gathering up more snow.

"And why not?" Ryo asked, before throwing his own.

Bingo, right in the stomach. But that didn't stop him from throwing two more.

"We're on duty." he replied.

"Alright Mr. Uptight, let's see what we can do about that attitude of yours." he replied, before throwing two more back at him.

"Grrr you asked for it." he growled, before grabbing another handful.

Apparently, all it took were a few snowballs to get him started, but in Ryo's mind, everyone needed to unwind at times, even when on a mission. Although, Magi didn't particularly agree with such a notion, the fact that they were having a snowball fight brought him back to when they were but small children, and how they and the others in their class would get into one large snowball war.

"Hah! Can't say you're not having fun now! I see that smile." Ryo claimed.

"Heh alright, let's see how well you handle my Snowball Strike." he thought, before snatching up a card.

Upon raising it, hundreds of snowballs began flinging themselves at his target, but he also had a plan for just such an attack. With his wings out, Ryo used them as a soft a shield; deflecting all projectiles thrown, until the assault was over.

"Nice try. Now let's see how well you fair against this."

It was time for one of his newest techniques. Using the two gauntlets around his hands, the wings behind began shifting and changing, until they took the form of two large, clawed hands. But they weren't going after his partner, but instead the snow. With two big handfuls, he formed his own ultimate snowball attack, as a snowball the size of a walk in ramen shop formed.

"Uh dude?" Magi asked nervous.

"No hard feelings." he replied in a sinister tone.

Their conflict would have to wait however, when a familiar voice came from Ryo's right, a voice he knew all too well.

"There you guys are. What's all of this?" they heard, before turning to confirm their suspicion.

Yep, it was them alright, Mizore and Kurumu, both looking at them like they'd done something wrong.

"Oh, this doesn't look too good does it?" he asked, before dropping the ball of snow.

"It doesn't matter." was all Mizore could say.

The look on her face said it all; fear, anger, regret, and sadness, all of which swirled around in her mind.

"Im sorry for your losses." Magi said, while both gave a respectful bow.

"It's okay. What's done is done."

"Damn, she's usually a bit more uplifting than this." whispered Ryo.

"Focus."

"Yeah. Kurumu, were you here when all of this took place?"

"Yes." she answered confidentially.

"Can you describe what it was that attacked? The form they took? Anything will help."

"I, I saw many of them flying overhead, early this morning, at around 5 A.M. At first I thought nothing of it, but after passing over, many began dropping down. They carried many weapons, flamethrowers, guns, and spinning blades. We tried fighting back, but something wasn't right. These things, these mechanical monsters, they seemed sentient. They reacted to each strike, and fought back. Then he came."

"He?"asked Magi.

"I didn't catch his name, but he looked like a large, mechanical samurai. They tried fighting back, but nothing worked. He cut them down like pigs for slaughter." she stopped though, as the horrid memories began returning.

"That's enough Kurumu. You've been a big help. And Mizore, I promise, no matter what, we'll find the person who did this, and bring justice to those who suffered." promised Ryo.

But his words didn't seem to get to her. But who could blame her? Her own people had been cut down and taken right in front of her, and being powerless to stop them didn't help either.

"Did you need any help with the burials?" asked Magi.

"No, we've already taken care of that, but thanks anyways."

"Okay, I guess we're done here." Ryo sighed with relief.

"Seems that way."

Just when things were wrapping up though, one of the earth elementals came running over with something in his over-sized hand.

"Sir, we found something down one of the alleyways. We thought you'd like to take a look at it." he told them, before tossing the object to the ground.

It looked like a large, metal sphere with three legs, or in other words, a tripod.

"Huh, is this what attacked you all?" asked Magi.

"Yeah, they were all over the place, but when we came out from hiding, they were gone."

"Well it's not so rough and tough now." Ryo said, before giving a little kick across the ground.

"Ryo! You do know we need that as evidence right?"

"Alright, calm down, look I barely put a dent in that thing. See?" he answered, before pointing to the squirming bot.

Wait, squirming, it hadn't that before. While all five looked over at it, a small red light began blinking, as two compartments on its back opened up, to reveal two sets of wings.

"Magi, what's going on man?" he asked nervously.

"No clue."

Well, there was some good news, it didn't seem to mind them, as it took off into the sky, the bad news was, it had taken off without them.

"Hah problem solved itself."

"Maybe not. Mr. Kurumu, do you remember seeing which way its fellow bots departed?"

"Um, north-east I think."

"North-east huh? So what's in that direction?" he asked himself, before pulling out a mini map.

"You think it's picking up on its friends?" Ryo asked curiously.

"Probably."

"Heh, well when we catch up to them, I'll give up a good ass whooping."

While scanning the map though, something cause his partners attention that made him go cold.

"Are you alright?" Kurumu asked.

"Ryo?"

"Yeah?"

"Stay calm alright, but I think they're headed here." he pleaded, before pointing to the only structure labeled in that area of the map.

He didn't want to believe it. His body turned ice cold after taking a look for himself. Right in their path, only one structure stood, and if he was right, then what happened before would seem like a mere hunt in comparison.

"Minami."


	4. Chapter 4 Declaration of War

Chapter 4

Declaration of War

Talk of the upcoming graduation ceremony had already begun spreading all across campus, as those who were bound for the real world made the necessary preparations for graduation. Though a bit annoying, knowing they'd finally be their own person, it made most excited. And none were more excited as their own vampiric student, Minami Aono. At last, after four years of hard work and endless amounts of homework and tests, she'd be free to pursue whatever career she wanted. But in the meantime, something needed closure between her and Ami.

"Alright, I'll see you Horseman of Wither, and play my own Raider's Army. With that, you're down one soldier." Ami boasted proudly, after throwing down her new card.

"You think so huh? Well get a load of this. I'll use my Vortex of Shadows, and banish your precious army straight to the cemetery." she told her, while throwing down her own special card.

"Wait, but that'll leave my ruler open. You wouldn't to that to a friend, would you?" she asked nervously.

"Hm...yeah. I'll attack, and with that you lose." she told her.

"Gah! How did you get so good so fast?" asked Ami, in disappointment.

"Heh, the rules aren't that complicated." she answered, before sliding her deck back into its box.

"Overlords huh? Well I'm over this game." she scoffed.

"Just like the last ten times."

"Whatever. Why can't you get your boyfriend to play with you?"

"He's not into card games."

"Really? Huh. Well if he won't play, you could always make it more interesting. Just add in a bit of stripping, and bingo."

"Oh trust me, that wouldn't be the first time he's seen me like that."

"Then throw in some sex. I don't know."

While packing up their game, Minami's felt her cellphone vibrate. Was it Ryo, or maybe her parents, to wish her good luck on the finals?

"Hello?" she asked, after answering it.

The voice was clearly Ryo's, but something was interfering with his signal.

"Ru...they...com..., they..." was all she could hear, before he hung up.

Strange, maybe he was too far away, she thought, before slipping it back into its holster.

"What was that about?" asked Ami.

"I don't know, but he sounded pretty serious." she said, while looking a big worried.

"Maybe something's gone down at work?"

"Yeah. I should go check on him." she told her in a worried tone, while grabbing her bag.

"Whoa, hold up there. We've still got another test today. You're really going to blow that off?"

"There's more important things out there than tests, and he's one of them. ...But could you maybe tell her I'm sick?" she pleaded.

"Not so innocent now are ya?" she teased, as they walked out from the library.

"You're no better." she replied teasingly.

But still, the thought of what he wanted kind of made her nervous. He sounded really worried, but what could it have been? Had something happened? Perhaps, but what? Whatever it was, she had to make sure he was ok, even if it cost her a good grade. But while stretching outside of the building, a loud humming could be heard coming from down the street.

"What's that?" she asked.

"No clue, but it's getting really freaking loud."

Windows rattled, as the strange sound got louder and louder. They weren't the only curious ones around; others who'd been in the surrounding area, began coming out as well. After a few minutes though, it seemed to die down a bit, when suddenly a loud howl shook the very foundation of the campus. Windows shattered, as tables and chairs flew all over the place. Buildings shook, as their support began giving way.

"Gah!" Ami exclaimed, before being thrown back.

"Ami, are you ok?" she asked, while helping her up.

"Yeah, I'm fine." she said, while catching her breath.

Whatever that was, had knocked the wind out of her, but that was the least of their problems. Large shadows began engulfing the academy, as weird, flying objects could be seen hovering above them. From where they were standing, they looked like robots of some sorts.

"Minami, I think we should..." Ami said, before a large, blue energy beam knocked her into the building across from them.

"Ami!" she exclaimed worryingly.

But while running over to help, the library exploded, along with everyone still inside. Large chunks of stone flew everywhere, as bits and pieces of paper covered the ground. There were no survivors, those still inside were either incinerated by the explosion, or crushed by the rubble. And things only got worse. From all across campus, explosions could be seen and heard, as the mechanized beasts dropped from the sky.

"This can't be happening." she said softly, while watching them spread out across school grounds.

Sounds of others crying out in pain, as they were hunted down ran through the school, as she backed up a bit. Thinking quickly, she jumped through to help her injured friend. Who knew what terrible things they'd make her suffer through. No, she couldn't leave her behind.

"Why's all this happening?" she asked herself in fear, while grabbing her partner.

It wasn't long though, before they were both spotted by one of the large, golem like beasts. With its red-eye locked on them, it took aim. Was this it? Not on her watch. Thinking ahead, she abandoned her friend for only a second, while dashing out to meet their foe head on.

"Vampire, lay down your arms and fate the universe." it demanded in a distorted tone.

"Lay down yourself." she scowled, before jumping up.

And with a high jump kick, she sent the mechanical beast to the ground, but not without some repercussions. She may have had great strength, but that thing was still made of metal, which didn't do wonders for her ankle. It didn't hurt too badly, but the pain was still there, as she turned back to grab her friend. At the very least, she could still get them out of there.

"Hey! Stay away from her!" she exclaimed in anger, before kicking the smaller bots away from her.

Like cockroaches, they were everywhere. While buildings were destroyed, others were either eaten or crushed. Quickly, she grabbed Ami, and began bolting down the street. If they were lucky, campus security were already on the case. With the campus being so big though, she wasn't sure if they'd make it. Even as they ran, another large, four-legged monster stood in their way, as it fended off a group of students.

"Crap." she gasped, before jumping into a nearby alleyway.

Try as they might, there were just too many of them to fight off; not to mention some were freaking huge. Even a vampire like her would have had a difficult time taking them out, without losing something in the process, and with Ami with her, she couldn't risk that happening. Thinking back though, was this what he'd warned her about?

"Come on Ryo, please pick up." she begged, while dialing his number.

Nothing. Not even so much as a ring. In fact, her phone wasn't working at all. But how? She'd just charged it last night.

"Crap. Please, don't do this." she said in frustration, before dialing again.

But, before she could call again, the wall in front of her burst open, as a large, orb like robo-beast came barreling towards her. The call would have to wait, she thought, before bolting from the collapsing alleyway.

"Vampire, lay down your arms and surrender." it demanded, before reaching out for them.

"Stay away!" she hissed, before kicking its claw away.

Things only went from bad to worse. After it stumbled backwards, ten others appeared from the shadows; some with blood stained bodies, as they surrounded her.

"There's nowhere else to run." one of them told her.

"No one can save you." another said, as they closed the gap.

"And the universe won't put up with you anymore." they all said at once, before jumping at her.

Equipped with multiple chainsaws and sharp claws, there was no way she could fend them all off. If Ami hadn't gotten knocked out, they could have taken them together, but that wasn't an option, was it?

"I'm gonna die." she thought in fear of the inevitable.

Her time had come. No more school, no more friends, no more future, it was all over, she thought, while waiting for her permanent slumber. But just when death closed in, a familiar voice rained down from above.

"Hang in there buttercup!" she heard, before a faint humming filled her ears.

"Buttercup? Ryo?" she wondered, before opening her eyes.

Nope, she was dead wrong. Instead, she found herself contained and protected by a large, green barrier; one that kept the sickening creature from killing them. And standing on top was Magi, as the beasts tried breaking through to their prey.

"Nope, but nice guess anyways. They're all yours super sonic!" he told his partner through his communicator.

There wasn't a moment to waste. From down the street, they watched as several bots were pushed aside, as her love came speeding towards them. At max speed, there was no chance in hell they'd get a hit on him. Ah, sometimes it felt good to have learned from a Dark Lord.

"I've gotcha. What do you say boys? Up for a little play time?" he asked, while opening up his jacket.

While closing the distance between them, his little, red, flying friend flew forth, as he raised his hand. Using his gauntlets, he could control what they did and where they went, and he had just the idea. After coming to a stop, he moved both hands back and forth; signalling his pets to snatch up any enemies in the surrounding area. In a vortex of lightning and screeches, they began juggling their targets, before taking the form of two giant clawed hands.

"And for the finishing touch." he said, before catching the dazed bots.

And with a clinch of his fists, he crushed and rolled them into a ball, before giving it a nice, hard throw, before chucking it far away.

"Good job, and now, time for big mamma." his partner said, before pulling out his gun.

Created by his father, these guns weren't meant for harming, but instead jamming electrical signals running throughout machines. Doing so would ultimately cause them to shut down. And that's just what he needed, as he took aim at the dazed bot.

"Pew pew." he imitated, before firing off two shots.

Once they hit the surface, all electronics were fried to a crisp. With nothing left keeping it "alive", it hit the ground with a hard thud.

"Nothing to it but to do it." he said confidently, while spinning his gun.

Finally, she could rest easy knowing they were there to help her out. She event went out of her way to set Ami down, just to pull him in for a crushing hug.

"Ryo! I'm so glad you're here. You wouldn't believe what I've seen, what I've heard." she cried out, while holding him close.

"Wanna bet?" he asked, before giving her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Yeah now's not the time to make out you two. Who's the girl?" asked Magi.

"Ami. She got hurt after all this started. Can you help her?" she asked, in hope he could.

"Not me, but we do have some healers with us. We'll need some escort though back to the ship."

"There's more of you here?" she asked, as her hopes rose.

"Oh yeah, lots. Magi here had to pull my butt back to the ship after I flew off on my own. We've got, oh, about a hundred or so men out there. Kicking ass and taking...well these things don't have names."

A sign of hope shined brightly, as Magi got into contact with their leader, using his Bluetooth earpiece.

"Yes, commander? We've got an injured over here. Mind stopping by? Okay, thanks." he said with a sigh.

"So?"

"He and a few others are coming, but uh, we first need to signal them." he said, before loading in three flare rounds.

"Why's he so nervous?" she asked Ryo.

"Well, guns make noise, noise attracts them, and they're probably not close by."

"You mean..."

"That's right. Prepare your butts." he said, before firing off three shots.

"No thanks. I don't plan on that happening today." Ryo replied sarcastically, before offering his gun to his love.

"You're letting me have it?" she asked curiously.

"Yep. You may be strong, but unless you have enough force to back up your punches, you'll probably end up breaking a few bones. You know how to use that right?"

"Of course. Just aim and shoot, right?" she answered, while unknowingly pointing it at him.

"Yeah...just keep it aimed towards them." he suggested, while turning it back towards their targets.

They weren't kidding when they said it would attract more. From all around, they gathered; their red eyes glaring at them, while approaching from every which way. Knowing letting them through would mean the end for their unconscious ally, but formed a small circle around her, with Magi having used a clone card to produce two more of himself. Their metal feet scrapped across the ground, as they charged at their targets.

"Here we go!" Magi exclaimed, while switching back to normal ammunition.

These things were on a mission, and it showed at they began striking hard at their prey, however their guns made quick work of them. The smaller, crab like bots were probably the hardest to hit, due to their speed, but Ryo had them covered. Meanwhile, Magi and Minami focused on taking down the larger enemies.

"Ryo, to the left!" Magi warned, after seeing a large group of human shaped bots.

"On it. I'll be right back sugar." he said, while cracking his neck.

"Careful." she pleaded, before shooting down three more.

After turning in their direction, he burst into a sprint, but instead of going full speed, instead he decided to try one of his newest moves. While running, a large orb of electricity began forming around its body. It almost looked like one of those capsules he'd find in kid's machines in the human world. While approaching, their raised their claws and guns, but to no avail; the bubble merely blocked the oncoming attacks.

"Nice try dumbasses. Let's see how well you handle this." he said with devilish grin.

Suddenly, he broke out into a super sonic run; one that allowed him to plow right through the group, no problem. Pieces scattered everywhere, as the bubble disappeared completely.

"Did I miss anything?" he asked, after rushing back to them.

"Kinda. Look around you us." Magi told him.

"Holy crap. More?" he said, while blasting some with electricity.

"And they just keep coming." he grunted, while attempting to keep up with the waves of enemies.

"How many are there?" Minami asked, while realizing she couldn't keep up with them all.

"No clue. Just keep firing." Ryo told her, while taking out a few more coming from their right.

There wasn't an end in sight. The moment they took down ten, twenty more would appear to take their place. Tension rose, as Minami struggled to keep up with the attacking force present. She'd been trained to fight one or two enemies at once, but this was just insane to her. While firing down an alleyway, Magi's trigger locked up.

"Ryo! A little help?! The trigger's locked!" he called out, while using a water card, to force them back.

"A little busy here!" he called out, while trying to take down one of the larger beasts.

Everything had come apart. Since he was busy dealing with their spherical friend, Minami and Magi had more to deal with than before. So much so, that one managed to get through, and cut along her leg.

"Ah!" she exclaimed, as blood ran down her leg.

"Minami!" he called out in fright, before jumping off their foe.

"You little...get the hell out of here!" she exclaimed, before giving the small bot a kick.

Thinking fast, their card wielder threw up another barrier, but for how long it would hold, he hadn't a clue.

"For christ sake. Can anything go right today?" he asked in frustration.

"If we get out of here alive, then maybe." answered Ryo.

"Ouch, don't touch it." she whimpered, while he inspected the wound.

"Magi, a little help?" he asked.

Seeing as how they could only wait for backup, why not?

"It's pretty deep. We can heal it, but we'll need to get her back to the ship."

"You're serious? You don't have a card to help out with stuff like this?"

"Look, I don't always come prepared. I've been meaning to get some made, but I haven't had the time. That ship is her best choice. It's gonna leave a pretty big scar though." he said, before ripping off a piece of his jacket.

The most they could do was make sure it stayed covered and clean. After wrapping the fabric around, he tied it off, and just like that, a make shift bandage.

"Better?"

"A bit, but how do we get out of here without getting slaughtered?"

"Well, I could dig us a tunnel, but we told them we'd be waiting here. So for the time being we'll just have to..." he told her, before heading a loud crash.

Not good. One of their larger friends outside hadn't taken a liking to their protection, and decided to break it open with its large mass. If it broke, he wasn't sure if he'd have enough time to raise another.

"Crap-crap." he muttered.

"Dig the hole man! Dig it!" Ryo pleaded, while watching the cracks form.

"Settle down. Just let me think." he told them.

"That's not gonna be good enough." he told them, before standing up.

"Whoa what the hell are you doing?"

"I'm gonna blast this thing to kingdom come."

"And shatter our only defenses?"

"It's our only choice."

"No it's not, it's a loose-loose."

"There's no stopping me now boy! I'm going for it!" he exclaimed, while forming an Ultima Spark.

With one attack, he could destroy that thing for good, however in the process, he'd leave them open to the others that were surrounding them. But they had no choice. It was either risk getting squashed, or risk getting torn apart, and neither sounded too good to him.

"Ultima..." he began saying, before hearing a loud whistling approaching.

From down the street, what looked like a large, metal spike flew towards the behemoth, as bolts of lightning took care of the bots surrounding them. In one fell swoop, they found relief in the fact that someone was watching out for them, but not just anyone. After impact, the spike pierced its core; shutting it down in the most violent of ways, while the waves of electricity fried all its little friends.

"Well-well, seems my little brother still needs some help after all." they heard, before someone landed on their bubble.

"Kyte?" he asked in anticipation.

"Bingo, and that's not all."

"Don't forget about me." Sylvia said, as she popped up out of a pool of nearby water.

"Heh, the family's here huh? What about the commander?"

He needn't wait long for an answer, as a man-made of metal followed his two subordinates.

"It seems you still need some help after all, doesn't it Keno?"

"Commander Frye, you uh, won't tell my dad will you?"

"No...of course not." he answered sarcastically.

Seeing that their troubles were over, at least for the moment, Magi released the barrier. They could only hope they wouldn't need it again, but knowing their luck, they would.

"So you said you had an injured?" asked Frye.

"Yes sir, well two now actually. Ms. Aono here got injured while defending her friend."

"I see." he said, while looking back and forth between the two girls.

"Please, can you help her?" she asked of him.

"Hmph, don't worry your pretty little head. We've got some of the best medics back on the ship. Once there, we'll get both of you checked out and back home." he said, before scooping up the unconscious Ami.

"Thank you." she sighed.

"What about you?" asked Sylvia.

"I'll be fine. I've been through a lot worse than this." she answered, with a smile.

"If you're sure..."

"Alright. If we're all set, let's get moving before those things find us again." Kyte suggested.

And thus, they began making their way back towards the shop; unknowing that something was watching them from the shadows.


	5. Chapter 5 The Shredder

Chapter 5

The Shredder

Nothing could have prepared them for the carnage that had come their way. Sounds of mayhem and destruction filled the air, as others of the E.D.F tried fending off their foe, but with only 103 of them, and over 200 mecha beasts still out there, they were starting to think they were fighting a losing battle. Still, per their code, all who remained alive after the first attack were brought back and attended to by medics. And who was leading the charge? None other than Shara, leader of Sector B.

"Keep firing! We can't let a single one of them through! Those with injured, hurry inside!" she demanded, while pushing back against the enemy.

Their job was simple: Guard the ship with their lives. Any who posed a threat was eliminated. With over fifty men and women under her command, their attackers didn't stand much of a chance. But even so, the thought of all those mangled bodies scattered all across the academy, while they were feasted on by the beast, it didn't help their nerves.

"Excuse me captain, but we've got a few runners coming in from the west." one pointed out.

"Are they ours? Can you identify them?"

"Yes. Commander Frye is leader, while the three Keno's follow behind, along with two unknowns."

"Are their injured among them?"

"Yes. Two of them. One's been cut along the leg, while the other looks unconscious."

"Alright. Let them through."

"Yes ma'am. You heard her! Make way!" he exclaimed, after putting his binoculars down.

With a separate team taking charge, the other split apart, to make way for the group heading in. While doing so, she alerted their medical officers of more coming their way, but whether they'd have enough room remained unknown for the time being. They weren't exactly light on people. Those who had survived remained inside, while those injured were tended to; leaving only so much room for them.

"Commander, what's the report?" she asked, as they passed through the opening made.

"Two injured, but their injuries don't seem that bad. Get this one to the medical bay stat." he told her, while lowering Ami down.

"Right. And you Minami? Your leg looks pretty bloody there."

"It's okay. I'll be fine. But what about the others? How many made it out?" she asked in concern.

"I'd say roughly around five hundred. Most were already here when we landed, so they're all safe inside. The rest were found among the wreckage."

"I see..." she said, while thinking back to the horrid screams.

"Hey, it's okay. You've got us here now, and I can damn well tell you, that we'll do whatever we can to help any others." she promised.

"Are there still others inside?"

"Of course. We're trying to clear out these things, while using a separate group to bring home others. A pretty standard tactic."

"Good." she sighed with relief.

Those who were lost among the tragedy, wouldn't be forgotten, and by their oath, they would track down whoever did this and bestow upon them the justice they deserved. And if they needed some extra help, she'd gladly come to their aid.

"Minami?" she heard, before turning.

Coming from the ship were both her auntie Kurumu and Mizore, both of which looked very happy that she hadn't become part of the bloodbath.

"You're here? But how?" she asked, while giving them both a big hug.

"I'm afraid this wasn't the first attack. We too were hit pretty hard. But it's good to know you're still safe and sound."Mizore answered.

"I may not have been if those two hadn't shown up to help out." she told them, while pointing to the duo.

"Oh you two, thank you so much." she said, while opening her arms up for them.

"Eh...we're good." they both said, with a nervous sweat.

They didn't feel like becoming Popsicle or being suffocated to death.

"Awwww, no love for us?" Kurumu whined.

"No-no, it's just, well, your hugs tend to take our breath away." Ryo answered with a nervous chuckle.

"Naturally." she boasted proudly.

"That's not what we meant." they both thought.

Well, at least they were back together again, and on top of that, the flow of bots began severely going down. Before they knew it, only a few more remained. Once they were taken care of, clean-up would begin.

"Ma'am, all targets have been dealt with as you requested." one said, while they lowered their guns.

"Good work. Let the clean up begin."

"Wait hold on, something else is coming."

"What is it?" she asked.

"Um, a metal samurai ma'am."

"What? You've gotta be joking." Frye replied, before taking the binoculars away.

He wasn't kidding. Walking towards them was what could only be described as a samurai. Whether it was of robotic origins or flesh remained to be seen, but it didn't look friendly, that much was for sure. All he could see were two, small, eyes peering out from behind its mask.

"Halt! Lay down your arms or lay down your life to the E.D.F!" he called out in protest.

No response, instead it raised an arm, before firing off several explosive rounds. Thinking quickly, he stomped the ground, in order to raise a large, metal barrier that would protect them. With its attack blocked, he gave the wall a good kick; sending large chunks of metal flying towards their new opponent.

"Let's see how well you handle that!" he exclaimed.

"Monster~" he muttered, before small indents in its armor began opening up.

"What's it doing?" Ryo asked cautiously.

It didn't seem possible, but it did. It hadn't avoided his attack, and for a good reason. After the opened up, ever piece thrown at him turned into a weird, dark purple energy, before being funneled into its body.

"Hm...Ryne Frye, you are not ideal for this world."

"What?"

"This is where it ends commander. This is where the universe pushes back." it told him, before opening its chest cavity up.

"Crap." he growled, before raising another to protect them.

Such an effort would prove fruitless however, once they got a taste of its plasma canon. In one burst, it unleashed a large blast of dark energy towards their only line of defense.

"Gah! How?" he gasped, while seeing cracks form.

"It's useless to resist. Your deaths are for certain." it told them without any regret.

Who was this? And how could he break through a shield made of steel? His technique had been perfect until then, but somehow this thing managed to break through. Thinking quickly, those with the ability attempted to shield themselves away from the blast, while others tried running away. Even Ryo and Magi did their best, by encasing themselves and their friends in large bubble shields. If they were lucky, they would only suffer minor injuries.

"Return to nothing!" it scowled, as its attack broke through.

Despite their attempts, not even their strongest of shields could fend off the powerful burst of energy. Everyone went flying back, as the being walked forward, with a deadly look in its eyes. Luckily, very few were seriously injured, and could still go on.

"Men! It's time to defend your honor!" their commander announced, while rising back to his feet.

"Yes sir!" they all exclaimed, before raising their guns.

"That probably won't work." Magi told them, while stepping back.

Of course they didn't listen. Why would they? He was but a small cog in the E.D.F machine, and Frye was the power source. With their sights set on it, they let loose a storm of bolts; in hope if this thing was a machine, that it would fall like the others.

"Fruitless yet again." it said, while taking the hits.

Nothing. It wouldn't slow down, let alone stop. In fact, it sounded more ticked than before, thanks to them.

"Okay. You know what to do in this case."

If their guns didn't affect them, then perhaps their powers would. As for those who hadn't the ability to fight in, they stayed behind. However, they overlooked one big fact about their enemy. After turning back, everyone used what attacks they had, whether it be fire, water, or wind, to create an even stronger attack; one that had been dubbed the Fusion Bomb.

"That's it. Now release!" he called out, after seeing the massive ball of energy take shape.

Like a large trigger, everyone pulled back on it, before letting it fly. The ground below began heating up and crumbling, as their elemental bomb flew towards the freak with the metal mask. Their stomachs dropped however, as its armor opened up again. It happened again! How could they beat something without their elements to back them up?

"Crap run!" Kyte called out.

"Too late." it said, before blasting the group.

Those hit head on found no salvation, as they turned to ash, while those in front were saved, but only barely. Most found themselves covered in cuts and burn marks; including Kyte and Shara. Just seeing his underlings attacked like that got Ryne's blood boiling.

"Want me to take a whack at it?" Ryo offered, while cracking his knuckles.

"That won't be necessary." he replied, before stepping forward.

"Wait, think about this commander. That thing just took out a good chunk of our men. If something happens to you then." Magi said worryingly.

"If something happens to me, you know what to do." he said, before charging forth.

No matter what happened, he couldn't let anyone else die under his leadership. Using his power of manipulation, both arms took the shape of large blades. Compromise wasn't an option, not any more. It would pay for what it did to his subordinate, and to the innocent.

"You'll pay for what you've done here!" he exclaimed in anger, before baring down on his target with a hard down slash.

But it too had another trick up its sleeve. Having seen the attacking coming, two blades slid out from its forearms, as it raised its arms to block the strike. Even so though, Frye proved strong enough to force him back.

"Was all this your doing?" he grunted, while pushing back.

"I am but a servant, but if you so desire, I'll gladly deliver you to him." it answered, before breaking their connection.

It hadn't been clear before, but after getting a up close and personal experience, it sounded like a man, behind the distorted voice. A man on man fight? Just the way he liked it.

"I'd love to see you try." he replied, before moving in for an X slice.

"Very well. I'll bring you back in pieces." he threatened, before taking a swing of his own.

While holding him off, Ryo and the others tried pulling in as many as they could to safety. Knowing the commander, things were about to get rough, especially when he's pissed.

"Ugh god. What the heck happened?" Kyte asked, as he sat against the wall of the ship.

"Well, you guys kinda failed." answered Ryo.

"I see, and Shara?" he asked.

"She's alright." Minami answered, before setting her down beside him.

"Good." he groaned, while trying to move.

"Need a medic?"Ryo asked.

"Please?"

"Gotcha. Could we get a medic down here at the entrance?" he asked over their communication line.

"I'm on my way." one answered.

Things weren't looking to hot for them. If Frye couldn't beat them, then who else could? Without his power, Ryo only had his strength to go off of. Was it enough?

"How's your leg?" he asked Minami.

"Hm? Oh it's fine."

"Good. I thought maybe I had been too late to warn you. When I called earlier all I got was static, then again we were still a little ways off."

"Yeah that will do it." she said with a smile.

Her smile, it still warmed his heart; despite what had happened before. But what impressed him the most, was her ability to cope with everything that had happened. She still sounded a bit shaken, but she neither cried for nor feared what was going on outside. Truly, the granddaughter of a Dark Lord.

"Are you alright? You seem a little wobbly." he asked in concern.

"Yeah. I didn't eat breakfast this morning though, maybe that's it."

"Stupid. You need to eat something. Here." he told her, before pulling down the collar of his jacket.

"Are you sure?"

"Trust me, I've got lots to spare." he assured her.

With a bit of hesitation, she decided to take up his offer. Hey, a girl had to eat, right? Carefully, she pressed her fangs against his neck, before giving them a little push. With a steady flow, she began swallowing what came out, while he kept an eye open for the medic. Meanwhile, the ground shook, as Frye tried his best to fend off their attacker.

"I'm here. Who needs tending to?" the medic asked.

"Right there." he told him, while pointing at the two.

"Hm. Are you in need of anything?"

"No, but you think you could patch up her leg?" he asked, while patting Minami's back.

"I'll have to inspect it, but there's not much I can't do. Leave it to me."

Having heard this, she pulled off, only to give him a look of concern. After all that had happened, she didn't want him suffer the same fate the others had.

"Don't give me that look. I'm only going out there to spectate, okay?" he ensured her, before poking her nose.

"But what if things get too bad?"

"They won't, I promise. For all we know, he's probably already dealt with it by now. Just stay here and get patched up. I'll come back and check on you in a bit." he promised, before kissing her right cheek.

"...Okay."

"Oh and don't worry. I've still got my good luck charm." he said, before flashing her the old rosary.

Seeing that he still wore it after so long, brought a smile to her face.

"Alright. But if things get bad, come back." she pleaded, while letting the medic look at her leg.

"Got it. Just sit tight." he replied, before running off.

Things weren't much better outside though. Both Magi and Sylvia hadn't dared to intervene in the fight at hand, or else risk losing their heads, but things weren't going anywhere. Though Ryne proved himself as a strong opponent, so did their foe. Both were locked in combat, and neither would let up; not for a second.

"How are things out here?" Ryo asked.

"Look for yourself." his sister replied.

Buildings that were already falling apart, were teetering on the edge, as they both threw each other through multiple buildings.

"Think we should help?"

"With what? We're both pretty useless against this guy." Magi pointed out.

"Yeah. Even our physical strength wouldn't match that thing's." she added.

"Alright, I got it."

But while they watched on, Frye found himself in a bit of a pickle. Though his body could absorb whatever material he chose to, it did very little to stop his opponent from advancing. Even his metal body couldn't stand against his punches and kicks. But he couldn't give up, not now or ever.

"Gah! Who do you think you are coming here and taking the lives of all these innocent people?" he growled, before tossing three large chunks of cement at him.

"They weren't people, they were nightmares." he sternly answered, before using his arm canons to obliterate the chunks.

"What is with you? Aren't you one of us?" he asked, while jumping through the cloud of dust.

Quickly, he tackled his opponent, and began hammering his torso and face with great effort. A few dents formed, but not much else, as his opponent chuckled.

"I am something far greater than you lot." he smugly answered, before pressing his hand against Frye's chest.

After feeling the touch, he quickly jumped up, before giving his fists a tight clench. He wouldn't get away from this, he thought, as a large metal shell sprang up from around his enemy.

"Not bad, but still too slow." he said, before trying to jump.

"Look below you." he suggested.

"Huh? When?"

What a move. While pinning him down, he'd managed to manipulate the dirt around his feet, and in turn used the minerals and materials within to form two metal hands, that held him down tight. Nothing could escape its grasp once ensnared.

"Goodbye." he said, before closing the capsule around him.

It was over. Nothing could escape his steel prison; not even their mechanical friend. All they heard were a few bangs coming from the inside, as he attempted an escape, but it was all for not.

"Good going commander!" Sylvia exclaimed.

"Alright. Let's get this guy loaded up." he told them.

Had he forgotten though? They weren't done yet. While he had his back turned, the creature began absorbing his metal prison. Bit by bit, it vanished, until he stood tall and proud once again. He'd failed not only the innocent, but his subordinates as well.

"You want to protect your kind, but you haven't the slightest idea what your up again. Let me tell you something..." he said, before walking up to him.

Up close, he presented quite the intimidating glare, as he reached for his neck.

"There are no chains on me." he said sternly, before giving him a hard kick to the stomach.

"Commander!" Magi explained in dread, while seeing him get picked up off the ground.

"No! Stay back." he groaned, while skidding backwards.

In an attempt to protect those under him, he used what power he could to raise a large pillar; one that launched his enemy up high into the sky. Shortly after, he manipulated his left arm, in order for it to stretch all the way towards him. It was like rubber, as he grabbed hold of the back of his armor, and swiftly slammed him into the ground. A loud rumble echoed through the deserted academy, as the bastard had the guts to stand back up. It actually kind of amused him.

"Not bad yokai." he groaned, while stumbling to his feet.

"Lay down your arms, or else meet oblivion." he threatened.

"Fool. The only oblivion present, is coming for you." he replied, before reaching for his mask.

"Like hell. I'll protect those I care about no matter the cost!" he exclaimed, before dashing towards him.

He wouldn't get away, not after all he'd done. All the destruction and chaos, it all came flooding back to him, and he couldn't let it go. With his bladed arms at the ready, he prepared to strike down the beast, with one, last attack.

"It's over." he thought, before taking the lunge.

However, his foe wasn't done just yet.

"Yokai, you've stepped out of your zone." he replied, before letting out a loud, ghostly wail.

The same wail that started everything had returned, and with it, a feeling of dread. It rang in everyone's ears, as Frye tried working through it, but the vibrations it caused only knocked him back towards his team.

"It's back." Minami said, while a cold chill ran through her body.

The chill ran down everyone's spine, as the howling came to a stop. Paralyzed by the vibrations, Frye found himself at the mercy of the samurai, as he approached him.

"Tis a shame. Perhaps I'll bring you back as an offering to my master. He'll have a lot of fun with you." he menacingly said.

"Screw you." he groaned, while trying to move his arms.

"It's best you don't move. The electricity running through your body now will only worsen the more you struggle. But you needn't worry. I'll end this quickly. You'll be with them soon." he said, before raising his blades.

"Ugh, I'm sorry everyone. I've failed you all." he told them with regret, before closing his eyes.

But when the world seems its darkest, a ray of hope would shine through, just as he learned many years ago.

"Teh. Is that all you've got old geezer?" he heard, before a thunderous boom followed.

He wasn't alone, there were still others willing to protect him and everyone else, and who better than one of their strongest hand to hand fighters? In a split second, his foe found himself flying backwards, as the new challenger landed on the ground before him.

"Keno?" he questioned, while looking in their direction.

"Then again, you're getting pretty old. Why not let some young blood take things over from here? I'll mop the floor with him, and wrap it up nice, maybe even with a bow."

"You can't. Your powers, he'll just use them against you." he groaned.

"You're forgetting something. I'm not a pure blood anymore, remember? I don't need them to kick his butt." he claimed.

Bother Magi and Sylvia couldn't believe what they were seeing. He'd always been cocky, but to take on someone who could beat the commander? Would he stand a chance? It's true, the Shinso blood still ran through his veins, but would the power of a vampire be enough?

"This one...is interesting."


	6. Chapter 6 A Day for Rain

Chapter 6

A Day for Rain

What a match. Machine versus vampire; an all out brawl to the finish. This was what he lived for; the heart pounding action and challenges. So what if he couldn't use his element? In the past, he'd proved more than enough times, he could kick butt with his immense strength alone. All thanks to his training with Issa and the others, he knew just how far he could go.

"Ryo, get your butt back here!" Kurumu demanded.

"Sorry, but I can't do that." he answered with a smirk.

"And why's that?" Magi asked in frustration.

"Because of your elements, duh. Plus you're forgetting, I have something you don't. You're all good fighters, but let's be honest, I've got the speed and power. Put that all together and you've got one major butt whooping."

"Damn. Freaking numskull." sighed Magi.

"Wait. Don't you have a card that could increase our strength?" Sylvia asked.

"One, but it's not by much. Certainly not on his level."

"Relax guys. I've got this." he promised, while watching his opponent rise up.

The only question was, what else this guy had up his sleeves. Being a machine, no doubt he had some gadgets hidden away, that would give him an advantage. Other than that though, there wasn't much else to fear.

"You're an interesting one, I'll give you that." he said, while standing back up.

"Well thank you. You're quite interesting yourself. In fact, why don't you tell me your name."

"Very well. Since I'll be your last opponent, it's only fitting. My name, is Kahn. I've come far to exterminate all yokai kind. The wretched beasts shall not..." he answered.

As it turned out though, it was but a distraction. Oh, he listened alright, but he had little patience for boring monologues. So instead, he raced towards him at high-speed, and gave him a nice punch under the chin; sending him backwards yet again.

"I can't believe you fell for the oldest trick on the book. I ask for your name, and instead you give me more time to knock you on your ass."

"Heh, that's a neat ability you've got there. You wouldn't mind if I evened that playing field, huh?" he asked.

"Huh? What that?" he gasped, after seeing a strange device attached to his stomach.

"You shouldn't rush into things without first thinking first, boy."

Something wasn't right. His speed was gone, along with his powers.

"What did you do?" he said, while trying to break it.

A hexagonal trinket had attached itself to his stomach, and wouldn't let go.

"It was quite simple really. Before you punched me, I let loose one of my troopers. With this, I've locked away any elemental power you may have inside that body of yours, for five hours."

"Gah! No." he grunted, while trying to crush it.

"It's useless. That device is made of a special material that can't be broken not removed until the time specified. Until then, you're nothing but waiting prey." he told him, before jumping at him, with the intent to slaughter.

However, he overlooked one minor detail. While trying to slice his so-called "prey" in half, Ryo grabbed both blades in his hands; the gauntlets protecting them from any harm.

"What is this?" he asked, while attempting to pull them away.

"Looks like you've made one minor mistake. Oops." he seriously answered, before pulling him closer.

With a good twist, both snapped in two, before he spun around; landing a kick along his left side. Tumbling down he went, as his opponent threw away his knives.

"You see moron, you may think you have me all figured out. Oh, I'm just another elemental. How weak, am I right? But there's one thing you didn't account for. But I won't tell you what it is just yet." he said, while charging forth.

"Excellent. We'll discover what you're hiding once we've dissect that horrid body." he said, before raising his arm cannons.

With his super speed, dodging them would have been a snap, but without it, precautions had to be taken, to make sure he didn't screw up. Thinking on his feet, he grabbed a large chunk of marble laying nearby, and gave it a good throw; like a Frisbee. Just as he wanted, it took out the projectiles, but didn't do much to faze Kahn.

"Hmph, is that all you've got?" he questioned, before shattering the rock with his fist.

"Nope. I've got a lot more." he answered, while right in his face.

Not only had it knocked out the shots fired, but also provided enough of a distraction to get up close and personal with him. With his hand balled up, he threw a hard punch, only for Kahn to block. Well then, how about another kick? Nope, he instead used his forearm to block that as well. Was he that good of a learner?

"What a simple creature you are. Here, let me help you." he claimed, before grabbing a hold of his leg.

"Ngh, what's with this guy? Now he's stronger?" he wondered in his surprise, while trying to pull free.

"I'm not just any ordinary machine boy. I'm a hunter. One who adapts to his prey's strategies!" he exclaimed, before giving him a hard swing, up to the second floor of the nearby art exhibit.

Good thing he was made of tougher stuff than the others, or else that would have hurt a lot more than it had. But while laying in the glass, he began to think. If Kahn could really adapt and learn from past mistake, could they beat him? After all, he managed against their commander, and he sounded pretty confident just a minute ago.

"Time to end this!" he heard, as the mecha warrior crashed through the top of the building, with his foot out and ready to stomp.

Swiftly, he rolled out of harms way, before taking a knee. If he couldn't use his powers, then what about some of his gadgets? He couldn't be careless though, he'd start light and work his way up.

"Hey Kahn, try these on for size." he said confidently, before tossing out a few smoke bombs.

With his vision clouded, nothing could be seen, as he tried looking through the thick cloud.

"Damn him. If I take in this much smoke, then I'll only cause myself harm." he thought, before firing blindly.

Tried as he might though, not a cry was heard, as he stopped for a moment. Wasting ammo would only waste his precious reserves, and without him, long-range attacks weren't operable.

"Yokai! Yokai!" he cried out in anger.

"Yes?" he heard, a little whisper from his left.

"There you are." he growled, before turning to shoot.

But instead, he got a face full of fists. One after the other, Ryo used much of his strength to beat force him back. Finally, he was doing some serious damage; as pieces of metal began flying off.

"And here's a present for the road." he said, before attaching a small sticky bomb to his chest.

There were only three seconds before it would detonate; good thing he planned ahead. With Kahn's back turned to a nearby window, he gave his mid section a good kick; sending him out and away from him. Shortly after, an explosion was heard, even by Magi and the others.

"What's going on? Where's Ryo?" Minami asked, while walking out; her leg wrapped in gauze after having stitches placed in.

"Um, hm, well he...went back to home base." answered Magi.

"Oh really?" she asked, suspicious of his answer.

The look she gave said it all. She wasn't in the mood for lies.

"Quit the crap. He's out there, and we're going out to get him." Sylvia told them, before grabbing his wrist.

"Wait, hold it. Your brother clearly said to stay here. We're no use to him." Magi said in protest.

"Yeah? And how many times has he been wrong?"

She had a point. He did have a tendency to underestimate their opponent.

"Good point."

"What about him?" Minami asked, while pointing to the injured Frye.

"Him? He's out for now. We've got a medic coming to help him out, but for now we're on our own." she answered, before running off with Magi.

"Wait, I'm coming too."

"No. You stay here. I'd rather you stay safe and out of harms way, and so would your lover."

Conflicting thoughts swarmed her mind, as she looked down at her leg. He's specifically asked her to stay with the others, but at the same time, she couldn't leave them out there without backup; regardless of the pain.

"You needn't worry. They've overcome odd like this before." Frye told her.

"I hope your right."

Was he? So far, the young vampire wasn't having much trouble. Even without his powers, he still managed to outwit this so-called "hunter" he so claimed. After hearing the explosion, he jumped down from the hole and wall, and made his down. From the look of it, he'd taken some pretty big damage. His chest plate had been reduced to scrap, while chunks of his headpiece and mask went missing. From the outside, sparks could be seen shooting out, as he landed on his feet.

"Seems this hunter has become the hunted." he said, before reaching for his cuffs.

"Hah hah hah...I'll admit, you caught me off guard, but never again. Our fight ends right now." he said, while stumbling forward.

"Awwww, ready to give up and go home?"

"Not by a long shot yokai." he growled, before reaching for his chest.

"Really? I blow you up and you're still going on?"

"Yokai, you're the loser here. This was but a small part of our plan!" he scowled while a small cover revealed a little, red button.

"Our plan?"

"That's right. I'm taking these chains we were once bound with, and throwing them back on you. Now you'll be burdened with the pain of their sadness. This is our vengeance!" he exclaimed in anger, before slamming down the button.

"Crap. Best take him out before whatever he wants to happen happens." he thought, before grabbing a bigger bomb.

But after taking it out, it suddenly flew from his hand; like it was being magnetized. In fact, all of his gadgets were being pulled towards him. His bombs, gun, and sword were all gone, as the sound of clanging metal approached.

"What are you up to?" he asked, while backing up.

"Hah. You thought this was all I had. Such a naive child." he said, before collapsing into a pile of metal, leaving only a small, red core floating in the air.

From every which direction, large chunks of metal began flying in, as they gathered around the glowing sphere. Even from the sky it came, as Ryo jumped up to a nearby overhang, to avoid the oncoming scrap.

"Huh. So that's what he had up his sleeve." he thought, while watching the junk pile up.

While watching though, the voice of his sister called out to him.

"Brother!" he heard, before turning to find his friend and sister jumping through the broken window.

"So you two decided to throw your hat into the ring, huh?"

"Well after that explosion, Sylvia here insisted that we go take a look. But seeing all of this, I guess we made the right decision."

"Awww, you're worried about your little bro?" he teased, while pinching her cheek.

"Do you want me to get Kurumu over here?" she threatened.

Nope. That was the last thing he needed; to be smothered to death. In truth though, she didn't like being treated as a child, especially by someone younger than herself.

"Alright you two. So what's going on here?" asked Magi.

"No clue. I saw him press a red button on his chest, and then all of this started happening." he replied, while watching the flow of scraps below.

"Interesting. You think maybe he could..." she was about to ask, before being interrupted by loud a loud clang.

Whatever Kahn was up too, he it was working, as the flow came to a stop. Piece by piece, the gears, electrodes, and metal plating began arranging itself in such a way, that it made a brand new colossal beast. Its four big eyes zeroed in on them, as four arms too form, with swords in each. Its deformed face looked at them with such contempt, as it raised all four blades.

"Your in my way!" it scowled, before slicing through the surrounding buildings.

"Yikes! Magi, a little help." he pleaded.

"R-Right." he said, before using his last teleportation card.

With it, he managed to get them out of their just before their own building came crashing out. From a bright flash of light, they appeared about two blocks away.

"Christ. What the heck was that thing?" Sylvia asked, while checking her pulse.

"I think, it was Kahn."

"Who?"

"Kahn. That's his name."

"Oh well great. So why don't you zip on over there and take care of him for us?" she asked.

"Can't, this stupid thing he attached to me sealed off my powers for now."

"That thing?" Magi asked, while tapping the device.

"Watch it. Who knows what else it could do."

"Please. I'll have it off before you can say yokai." he said, before taking out his gun.

Perhaps it would work, Ryo thought with slight discomfort.

"I guess it's better than nothing. Go ahead. Shoot." Ryo sighed, while shutting his eyes tightly.

While carefully aiming, he took a deep breath, before pulling the trigger. He hadn't been hit, but instead, the small bolt fizzled out upon hitting its metal surface.

"Oh come on!" he whined, knowing he wanted to use his powers so badly.

"Okay, relax. We'll think of a way out of this." he assured.

"Uh guys, you may want to hurry it up." Sylvia pleaded.

They had been found. Kahn's huge form overshadowed them, as he let loose a strong plasma beam from both his eyes and mouth. With haste, all three booked it just in time, but didn't escape the shock-wave that followed.

"You think you can change the future? You're just pitiful little insects, and I'm the executioner he growled, before reaching down for Ryo.

"You let him go!" Sylvia exclaimed in anger, before throwing a few bombs at his ankles.

"Oh thank you my dear." he replied smugly, before absorbing the trinkets.

"You've gotta be kidding me..."

"I'm afraid not, but seeing as how you're at a disadvantage here, I'm willing to make a deal. I'll let you three live, so long as you lot serve my master for eternity."

What could they do? If they refused, who knew how long things would go on for, but if not, they'd be enemies of their own team.

"Alright, you've got a deal." she replied.

"Good choice."

"But we'll only agree so long as you leave the others alive." she pleaded.

"Very well. Enough blood has already been spilled today anyhow." he said, before tossing her brother to the ground.

"Sylvia, are you serious? You've just made a pretty damn big decision for us." Magi told her, while running to help his friend.

She knew what she was doing. If anything, it would give her a chance to figure out who was behind the attacks.

"I know, but um, Kahn was it?" she asked, after walking to his side.

"What is it?" he asked impatiently.

"You're a robot like the others, right?"

"Wrong. Though I'm composed of the same materials on the inside, our outer layers are organic. Does that answer your question?"

"Yep." she said, before transforming.

Perfect. Just as she'd planned. With her brother out of harm's way, she instead dove right between an opening in his armor. Now that she was on the inside, all she need do is dismantle him.

"Hey, get out of there!" he demanded.

"Nope. You're finished big guy." she said, while ripping out wires, rusting gears, and doing whatever she could to help.

He hadn't been in his secondary form for five minutes, and already she'd found his weakness. As she spread through his body, chunks of armor and pieces of his body began falling apart, but he wasn't done yet.

"That's enough!" he exclaimed, before expelling large amounts of steam from every crevice.

Suddenly, her body began heating up at an alarming rate. Being turned into steam didn't really appeal to her, so instead she jumped out; only to get caught by the titan.

"Kahn, let her go!" Ryo exclaimed in anger, before jumping up to punch his arm off.

"Not so far little one." he said, before spraying him with large amounts of water.

"Gah! No..." he grunted, while falling to the ground.

"I gave you three a chance to live, but if you're so determined to save this savage species, you can morn for them." he growled, before throwing his sister to the ground.

With his prey at bay, the monstrous machine raised his claws, before Magi countered it with a set of four larger bombs, however it proved fruitless, as they were swatted away like annoying flies.

"You're annoying me boy." Kahn hisses, before giving him a good swat as well.

While tumbling in the dirt, most of his cards scattered across the ground. All he had was a card of multiplication and a shield, but in his condition, flight wasn't an option.

"Now then girl. It's time to enter eternity." he said menacingly, while lifting an arm.

"Don't do it!" Ryo begged, as his heart rate began picking up.

"With this I send you on your way!" he exclaimed, before bringing the claws of justice.

Time seemed to stop for a moment, as he watched in horror as the claw dug itself deep into his sister's chest. A loud gag, followed one last breath was the last thing he heard from her, before her eyes slowly closed. Blood covered the ground, as the bastard, no, the murder pulled away.

"Sylvia?" was all Magi could say, while looking at her lifeless body.

"Ah, another one gone. Good riddance too." Kahn said, before swatting her away.

They couldn't believe what had just happened, but Ryo above all else, couldn't rationalize what he'd seen. Just like that, she was gone; just another victim of the attack. Never again would they train together, eat together, or even tease each other. Something inside started rising up. A feeling of not only sadness, but pure hatred and disgust filled his mind.

"You..." he literally growled.

"Hm? You're still alive?" asked Kahn.

"You took her from me. I'll...I'll kill you!" he exclaimed, as a spiraling vortex of vampire energy began taking form around him.

"How cute. I assume you'd like to join her, yes?" he asked, before opening his mouth.

Nothing could stop him at this point. A primal urge had awoken, and with he, he'd take vengeance. Using what energy he had at hand, he launched forward; unwilling to except what reality had dealt him. While closing in though, the mechanized menace let out another large beam; one big enough to vaporize on contact.

"Crap. I'm not losing you too." Magi thought, before tossing out the last barrier card.

Along with it, he used a 3X card to help strengthen its defense capabilities. At most it would lessen and damage caused.

"I'll tear off your head!" he exclaimed in anger, before raising his fist.

Instead of striking back though, he paused as a large green bubble appeared around him. He hadn't expected this, but it proved useful the moment the beam hit. Almost instantly, its surface began absorbing what it could, before inevitably breaking apart. Bit by bit, the shield crumbled, but at the very least it absorbed a good portion of the attack. However, despite absorbing quite a bit of power, it was still strong enough to burn his chest, and knock him back into a large pile of rubble.

"You're a persistent one." Kahn said, before releasing the pieces of machinery around himself.

As metal fell to the ground, he jumped out with a blade in hand. It was time to end their petty squabble, he thought while walking up to the unconscious Ryo.

"And now I send you on your way. May the next life treat you better." he softly said, before raising the blade.

But the day had other plans for him. Before finishing off the insect, a little echo signal began ringing in his head. Apparently his boss needed something

"Yes? What is it sir? You need me to...yes. Of course. I'll gather up the troops and be back soon." he said, before hanging up.

It seemed any further killing would have to wait. Duty called.

"Count your blessings yokai. For today I shall let you live, but cross paths with me again, and your life is forfeit." he told him, before blasting off into the sky.

And along with him were his remaining bots. The day of pain and suffering would never be forgotten, but losing someone close only made it worse.


	7. Chapter 7 Outcome

Chapter 7

Outcome

What could have happened, for it to have come to this? All he could see was darkness, with a few cracks of purple coming from the walls and bridge. Last thing he remembered, he's gotten blasted away that damn Kahn. Had he died? It kind of felt that way, as his footsteps echoed across the dark void, while walking across the large bridge. It wasn't until a feeling of dread overcame him, that he glanced up.

"Who's there?! Come on, show yourself!" he demanded, after coming to a stop.

It hadn't been his mind after all. From a shadows, a loud, distorted voice answered to his demands.

"Hah hah hah, such impatience, especially for one marked for death."

"Tsk, yeah right. And just who are you?"

"That is none of your concern youkai. But I can assure you, you and your friends will meet the same fate that befell those today."

It hadn't dawned on him, that so many had died in the wake of the attacks. And his sister. He remembered it quite vividly. The cry she let out after being struck, but maybe she hadn't been lost. After all, many in the past had suffered similar wounds, but most ended up surviving. So why not her?

"I get it. You're nothing but a wuss. You're afraid of us, of me. In fact, I bet right now you're cowering like a little pansy. Am I right?"

"Heh, I find you quite amusing little boy, but I'm afraid my time here is almost at an end. But fret not, soon you and every one of your venomous species shall lay in the direst, reduced to food for the worms."

"Yeah, good one. Look pal, I don't know what kind of monster you are, but know this. When we find you, you'd best have some protection ready."

"Oh I'm shaking. Remember this youkai, you can not save them from the fire. Their bodies and spirits will all burn!"

"Yeah, we'll see about that. You'd best just prepare your butt."

"Heh heh, so long...yokai." he hissed, while fading away.

But while he may had been gone, his friends weren't, as a loud, high pitch screech echoed from down below.

"What's that?" he questioned, before peeking over the side.

From below, one large, purple eye peered up at him; an eye filled with anger and hate. It didn't move though, as he took a step back. If only he hadn't. Before he could react, a large, black claw forced itself through his back, and out his chest, before lifting him up. Drops of blood fell from the tip and covered his face, as he struggled to wiggle off, but it was all for not. As the life faded from his eyes, all he heard was a loud, menacing laugh, as everything went black.

"Gah! What...what just happened?" he asked, after opening his eyes.

From the looks of it, he was back, but where exactly? It took him a few seconds, before he could move his head back and forth.

"Home base...thank god." he sighed with relief, before sitting up.

His body felt fine, but thanks to that bastard, he'd spent more physical energy, than he could afford. His body felt fairly weak, but it wasn't anything he couldn't deal with. With a good night's sleep, he'd be back to his old self in no time, hopefully. He hadn't been the only one injured though. Several others could be seen, asleep in their own beds, while they recovered from their wounds.

"Hm, it seems my power has returned, but it's probably best if I lay off of it for a while. Besides, my legs could use a normal walk." he told himself, before jumping out of bed.

If he had to guess, the others were probably in the main building, while they discussed what action they should take. Destroying not one, but two locations, while also killing off many others, those responsible would find punishment waiting. Still, at the very least, as a part of the E.D.F, he needed to check up on their plan of action.

"Oh, maybe I'll check up on Sylvia first." he thought.

However, after turning the corner to head out, the two nurses stepped in front, to keep him from going any further. He recognized them, both Cathy and Marie. Both specialized in medical treatment, and were pretty darn good at it too.

"Evening ladies. I'm just heading out for some fresh air, if you don't mind."

"Well we do. Now if you wouldn't mind, please return to your room and rest up. You were pretty badly beaten when you got here, and we'd rather you not strain yourself." Cathy demanded, before attempting to push him back.

"Oh I'm not straining in the least. By the way, would either of you happen to know which room my sister is in?" he asked, while holding her away.

Silence followed, as their expressions turned to sadness. Were they having complications with her treatment or something, he wondered.

"Mr. Keno, you're sister is..." Marie tried explaining.

"Ah, it's no big deal. I'm sure you're both pretty busy. I'll just ask my dad. Catch you later!" he told them, before running around them and out the doors.

"Wait, Mr. Keno! You can't just leave." she groaned.

"It's no use. He's still as stubborn as ever." Cathy sighed, as they watched him dash over to the main building of operations.

Little did he know, the others were already in a meeting, to discuss what action would be taken against their foe. With Kyra and Mia, along with their friends, family, and supporters, all gathered together, they tried putting their heads together, in hope one of them would come up with a plan.

"So, what exactly are we dealing with here?" asked Tsukune.

"Judging by the symbols embedded in their armored plating, I'd say from the Mecha Kingdom."

"Okay. And what's that?" Moka asked.

"Well, to put it simply, it's a place where robotic beings live and flourish. Me and Mia here use to trade with them a lot, but lately, they've yet to contact us."

"Right. So it's robots we're dealing with." he determined.

"Sort of. You see, there's a difference between normal robots and the mechas. Normal robots have limits and can easily be shut down, but mecha have no such weakness. They'll adapt to their situation and strike back with greater force." Ryne explained.

"Like the guy from earlier." Minami replied.

"Exactly. Think of their brains as super computer. The more the fight, the more they learn, and the more threatening they'll become. Heck, they may even find a way to overpower Mr. Dark Lord over there." replied Kyra.

"Doubt it." Issa told him.

Hearing all of this didn't exactly raise their confidence, especially Tsukune, who had a family to protect.

"Great. So we're up against an enemy that'll screw us if we're not fast enough on the draw." he said in frustration.

"Pretty much." replied Ryne.

"If that's the case, we should go in guns blazing. Hit them hard while they're unaware." Kyte suggested.

"Cool your head son. Going in without a plan may come back to bite us in the butts. We need to rest and think on this."

"Yeah no. I say bullcrap. Did you see what they could do out there? The amount of damage they caused? What if they're still out there? Many more will die if we don't act now!" his son exclaimed in anger.

"And if we move in without a plan, we'll die as well. We've got to assess the situation and plan accordingly."

"Screw that! They've killed hundreds, what's to stop them from doing the same again? Did you see what they could do? How ruthless they were? We must act today, or else more will end up like my damn sister!" he exclaimed angrily, while slamming his fist down on the table.

"I understand your frustration, but going in blind would be a grave mistake. We should..." he began telling him, before hearing the door close behind him.

They hadn't noticed at first, but of all people to come in, Mr. Keno had too. The look on his face said it all; complete shock, as he stared at them, eyes wide.

"Ryo? You're not suppose to be up." his father asked.

"Where's...where's my sister?" he nervously asked.

The room filled with silence, as he looked around at their sad faces. It felt as if a hole had opened up in his heart, as his love came over to comfort him.

"What happened?" he asked as realization took hold.

"Ryo, she's gone." she softly told him, while taking his hand.

However, it did very little to calm his mind.

"But, we could have..." he began saying.

"I'm sorry. We tried our best to revive her, but by the time we returned, her life had already vanished from her eyes. Her heart, torn to shreds." their leader said.

"It's okay sweetie. It's not your fault." his mother assured him of.

But that's not what his own mind told him. With emotions piling up, he sped out the door, and towards the funeral center; leaving everyone else behind.

"Wait!" Minami called out.

Before she could follow though, her grandfather stepped forward, as well as his brother and cousin.

"We go together. The rest of you may continue with your conversation." said Issa.

"Um, alright." Ryne replied, while confused about why a stranger was taking command.

"He'll probably be at the funeral center." Kyte pointed out.

"And where is that?"

"We'll take you there."

"Right. Let's go."

With the rest carrying on with their discussion, the four made their way towards an area most called the Last Domain, located east of the Main Hall. Behind the church like building, hundreds of others found their final resting place; buried deep underground, while their souls carried on. But, although many considered it a place of sadness, the light shining through the stain glass windows, along with the many candles, gave it a more peaceful and uplifting atmosphere.

"Is this it?" Issa asked, while looking at the church.

"Yeah." replied Shara.

Silence filled the inside, as he gave the double doors a good push. Light from outside poured in, as candles flickered. Seats were arranged in rows, while Twenty caskets sat at the front. They hadn't had a proper burial yet, but they'd soon be tasked with laying them all to rest.

"There he is." Kyte pointed out, after motioning to the figure kneeling in front of the center coffin.

Without a second thought, his love ran over, only to find a whimpering mess of a hero. Tears streamed down his face, while holding on the side of his sister's open coffin; her skin cold as ice. Such news couldn't have been good for his confidence, let alone his heart, but just as he was there for her, she would be there for him.

"Tell me, how long did she suffer?" he asked, while drying his eyes.

"Not long. She passed shortly after our departure." his brother answered, while putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sure she's already looking out over us all." Shara followed.

"Don't sugar coat it. If I hadn't been so cocky, she wouldn't still be alive." he said in self-hatred.

"Don't talk like that. It was of her own choice to seek you out. She died honorably, protecting her little brother."

Though, it did very little to qualm the hatred within, as he stood up.

"And who was it that ran out first? Damn it, we're the heroes, right? But I couldn't even save my damn sister!" he exclaimed in anger, before punching the floor.

"Ryo, please. We're all very upset, but we can't stay like this. The best we can do is find out who did this and..." Shara told him, in an attempt to calm him down.

"No, you don't get to have a say in this. You weren't the one who ran out like an idiot and got their sister killed because of it." he growled.

"Hey, you don't speak to her like that, you hear me?"

"Oh? And what are you going to do about it?"

"Ryo, please, calm down." Minami said.

"Stay out of this Minami!" he demanded.

Such a tone didn't sit well with her grandfather, he though, as his right hand turned into a fist. Quickly and swiftly, he gave him a good punch to the stomach; not enough to do any serious damage, but enough for him to get the message.

"I don't know what happened before hand, but that gives you know right to talk to your family and my granddaughter like that, you hear me?"

"Ugh, I know, but what can I do? We were nothing to him. Just animals for slaughter." he asked, while holding his stomach.

"Perhaps so, but you mustn't let that deter you from moving forward. God knows I've faced similar situations in the past. You made a big mistake. Now stop sniveling and pull yourself back up." Issa answered sternly.

"I guess." was all he could say, while stumbling back to his feet.

"You needn't do this to yourself. We're all in this together, as a family." his brother said, while placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah...a family." he sighed.

But though he felt a bit better, something deep down began to fester. It wasn't hatred towards himself, but hatred towards the one who took her from them. His cries of pain, that's what he wanted to hear the most.

"Come on. Let's get back before your partner wakes up. At the very least, you two can cheer each other up." Shara assured him.

Meanwhile, far away in lands unknown to most, their enemy waited; watching his plans unfold through a rift in space. Seeing those he hated in such pain, it almost made him cry with happiness, as he lounged back in his mechanical throne.

"You poor things. You're lost, because you've got no one to lead you forward, but fret not. Very soon, you'll know the truth, and by then, it'll be too late." he said with a grimace.

His entertainment would have to wait though, as the two, large double doors opened. It was his partner in crime, Khan.

"Sir. As you requested, we've sent your message out." he said, while kneeling to his highness.

"Loud and clear?"

"I assure you, they'll eventually come for you."

"Excellent. I could use with a bit of amusement. Being trapped in that sad excuse for a prison had really become quite boring."

"Absolutely. Would you like if I prepared you a drink?"

"Not needed my friends, but I could really do without this body. It's proved nothing but an irritation." he groaned, while rolling his shoulders.

"Would you like I fetch you another?"

"No. Though it's not the most comfortable, its advantages for outweigh such an insignificant complaint. Besides, soon I'll have my body back." he said, while getting up to look out a nearby window.

"Of course."

Looking out over his people though, it made him think back to a time when he use to watch over his own. They were flawed creatures, sure, but like any good father, he was determined to protect his children, no matter what the cost.

"I've heard it all for much too long, the screams of their nightmares. They thought they were helping the world, but they've only made it worse. Soon they'll scream for mercy."

"Of course. What's been witnessed through the millenia can't be erased."

"And once I'm free, these chains shall finally disappear, and the only thing remaining will be me."


End file.
